


Your heartbeat is my favorite song

by LePresident_Miaou



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alec Lightwood Protection Squad, Alec has good friends, Alec is a good son tho, Bad Parent Robert Lightwood, Closeted Alec Lightwood, Club owner! Magnus, DJ! Alec, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, F/M, Free whiling bisexual Magnus, Gift for Noksindra, Hunter's Moon, Hurt Alec, Insecure Alec Lightwood, M/M, Pissed Alec, Poor Alec, Slow Build, Supportive Magnus Bane, bad start, clubing, drunk magnus, pandemonium, shameless Magnus, supportive friends
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-28
Updated: 2017-03-12
Packaged: 2018-09-20 10:44:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 23,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9487715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LePresident_Miaou/pseuds/LePresident_Miaou
Summary: Magnus Bane is the owner of the most popular nightclub in New-York: Pandemonium. Friday nights are huge at Pandemonium, everybody drink, and dance. But when Magnus finds out his DJ had cancel his gig and he have to find someone to replace him, he would do anything to assure the show, even letting his waitress brother play. And what an handsome brother she got. But, things don't always go as planned, and Magnus knows that.





	1. Tonight the DJ saved my life

**Author's Note:**

  * For [noksindra (Rubikon)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rubikon/gifts).



> I'm so glad to work on this great concept @Noksindra had come with, this was so much fun, and I can't wait to write more about this !
> 
> Thanks to 1st: @Noksindra for letting me use her awesome idea of DJ!Alec! Then for being my beta, with the amazing @Lecrit! I love you so much my little croissant !  
> Alors huge thank you to @QueenCow for her advices. 
> 
> I hope you'll like this, as much as I liked writing it !
> 
> You can find me on Twitter : @MaddyMoo__
> 
> PS: So not original but if you ever read this, you can tweet with the #YHIMFS hashtag on Twitter so I can see your reactions <3

 

Pandemonium was the most frequented club in all New York City. Everyone went there to attend the biggest parties, and of course, the biggest gigs. Every night, the club was packed with people, people dancing, people drinking, people having the best night of their lives.

 

At least, that’s what Magnus Bane used to tell himself, sat on the most expensive leather couch of the club, a Daiquiri in his hand, contemplating the crowd moving at the sound of music. The man was handsome, wearing black leather pants with an open maroon shirt, which allowed to see a good part of his chest down to the navel, where several long necklaces swayed.

 

This evening, it was a certain Sheldon, or Seamus, who was playing with his group "Rock Solid Panda". Magnus didn’t know him personally, but he was warmly recommended by his PA, if you could use this word, because Raphael was everything but warm and fuzzy. 

 

Raphael was one Magnus's associates, and one of his closest friends.

 

Magnus had no idea of how, or why Raphael had found a guy like... That's it! Simon, his name was Simon. Not that the boy was playing badly, him or his group. On the contrary, they played rather well, but Magnus trusted Raphael when it came to recruiting bands or DJs for his parties.

 

"You're not going to tell me where you found this one?" Magnus asked with a smirk, pointing at Simon.

 

Raphael sighed before rubbing his temples, obviously annoyed, and Magnus smiled as he saw his friend roll his eyes before answering.

 

"Dios, I do not know what I'm going to do with him. He should have worn the spare clothes I gave him," Raphael grunted.

 

Magnus chuckled before taking another sip of his Daiquiri. He glanced at the scene where Simon was smiling at the audience, waving and adjusting his hair before starting a new song with his guitar. When he began to sing, the audience started dancing to the sound of his voice. The young man had potential, and Magnus turned to Raphael and gave him a pat on the back.

 

"My old friend, I have to say that even though your new protégé's clothing style does not delight me, the customers seem to appreciate, and therefore, I appreciate it too," Magnus said as he finished his glass.

 

"Of course, have I ever advised you amateurs?" Raphael asked, almost outraged.

 

Magnus looked at him, before raising an eyebrow, looking utterly unamused.

 

"Shall I remind you of this Spanish band?" Magnus frowned.

 

"Dios, Magnus, that was 4 years ago, get over it, por favor!" Raphael begged.

 

"It was the worst night, and the least profitable for Pandemonium, of course I'll remind you for the next four years," Magnus chuckled.

 

Raphael sighed before getting up from the sofa, he put his glass of red wine on the table before heading backstage. He turned and waved briefly at Magnus before following Simon as he headed there. Magnus watched them, and saw Raphael slamming a hand behind Simon's head, who was startled. Magnus smiled, and saw Raphael then lay his hand on Simon's shoulder, softening.

 

Once the club was empty, Magnus made his way to the bar, where he poured himself a glass of whiskey. He loved his job, owned his own club, had fame, and every evening an incalculable number of women - and men - flirting with him. Despite that, Magnus was single. Of course, he had already had many relationships, but ever since his break up with Camille Belcourt, his former associate, he hadn’t had the urge to start a new relationship with anyone.

 

“If you continue to make that face, you’ll get wrinkles.” 

 

A voice rose from behind the bar. Magnus looked up to find that one of his waitresses was still there, cleaning up the last glasses they had left on the counter.

 

"Isabelle, I didn’t know you were still here, it's late, you know," Magnus said gently to him as he finished his glass.

 

"I know, I had a few glasses to clean, and I'm waiting for my brother to pick me up," said Isabelle, putting the last glass on the shelf.

 

"I didn’t know you had a brother," Magnus hummed. 

 

Isabelle looked at Magnus in despair, she had told him at least a hundred times that she had siblings, but Magnus seemed not to remember, maybe she should introduce her brother to her.

 

"Actually, I have three, but this is not the first time I've talked to you about them." Isabelle sighed.

 

"Well, maybe this time I'll remember. Who knows?” Magnus smiled.

 

Isabelle sighed, but laughed before passing behind the bar to retrieve her coat in the locker room, and Magnus couldn’t help but look at her with a fond smile. Isabelle was beautiful, with her long black hair and her lips still painted red. She was tall but always wore high heels nonetheless. 

 

It was now two years, since Isabelle had started working for Magnus, she was still a student at the time and was looking for a part time job to pay for her studies. Today, Isabelle was still working at Pandemonium, but she was also working in a small pediatric facility in New York, and looked after sick children. She had never really told Magnus what had pushed her to do these studies and accept this very badly paid job. But Magnus understood, he had increased Isabelle's salary and made her work a little less, but she always came with a smile on her sweet face, and never complained.

 

Magnus did not keep his waiters very long, most of them were just looking for a job for a short time, and it suited him, he liked to see and meet new people, but Isabelle was different. As long as she wanted to work here, Magnus would be happy to have her in his club.

 

Isabelle's phone vibrated on the edge and Magnus could see her lock screen picture. She was in the center of the picture with a little boy who must have been ten years old, maybe less, and they both sported a radiant smile. Behind Isabelle were two guys, taller than her, one had blonde hair and a pitiful smile. He was handsome, but Magnus's gaze was attracted by the other guy on her right.

 

"Who are you?" Magnus whispered when he saw the screen turning black, so he looked around to see that Isabelle was still in the locker room and he pressed the center button of the phone and it turned on again.

 

He had raven hair, gorgeous hazel eyes, a small smile on his face. He was just breathtaking. The blond one had his arm around his shoulders, and both had their hands in the hair of the smallest of the brothers. They were a pretty little family.

 

Isabelle came back with her coat and Magnus handed her phone to her. She looked at the message and smiled.

 

"Oh, it's Jace! He's here. See you tomorrow Magnus," said Isabelle, taking her bag and her phone before heading for the nightclub exit.

 

Magnus could see one of the brothers, leaning on his bike, wearing black jeans and a white t-shirt under a black leather jacket. When he took off his helmet, Magnus was disappointed to see the blonde. Isabelle grabbed a second helmet and sat behind her brother before the latter turned on the contact and rode away from the club. 

 

Magnus, who was still sitting at the bar, stood up to pour himself one last glass of whiskey, which he almost drank with a single stroke, before putting the bottle back on the shelf, and leaving ten10 bucks in Isabelle tips’ cup.

 

Magnus lived just above his nightclub. The evenings rarely ended before four or five o'clock in the morning, but Magnus had become accustomed to this lifestyle and he went to bed in the wee hours of the morning, and thus, got up late. The only one bothered by this schedule was Chairman Meow, Magnus’ cat, who came to claim cuddles as soon as Magnus had returned to his apartment.

 

"Ah, I woke you up? Sorry Chairman," Magnus purred as he took the little cat in his arms. He put it on the kitchen countertop before serving him a bowl of cat food that the kitten engulfed eagerly.

 

Magnus snatched himself a cup of coffee, and grabbed a newspaper, where an entire page was dedicated to his nightclub as it was the most frequented place of Brooklyn. He smirked at the sight of all the positive comments about his establishment, but the article was mainly about the fact that tomorrow night, New York's most famous DJ, Meliorn, would come to perform at Magnus’ club.

 

Magnus sighed. He did not particularly like DJs, but it was the kind of mixed music that pleased the audience nowadays, and Magnus was there to satisfy his customers after all. He was quickly disturbed by the Chairman, who came to demand another dose of cuddling. While Magnus caressed the little cat, he felt the slumber take over, so he stood up to head towards the bedroom.

 

Once he was settled comfortably in his king-sized bed, under his maroon silk sheets, Magnus sighed again, looking at the ceiling. He thought of the photo on Isabelle's phone and those beautiful hazel eyes. He would surely have the opportunity to ask Isabelle what was the name of this sublime young man.

 

Magnus laughed at his own thoughts. 

 

"How old are you Magnus Bane? We're not in high school anymore. You can’t just ask for Isabelle’s brother number just because you think he’s cute." 

 

Magnus exhaled, turning and swirling in his huge bed, pushing the sheets off of his body, then putting them back, then pushing them away again. The Chairman, who was trying to find a comfortable position to sleep, wasn’t happy and gave a little bite in Magnus back, who squirmed, but he finally positioned himself on his back and the kitten snuggled on Magnus’s bare stomach and purred as he finally fell asleep. Magnus was still scratching behind his little ears, and finally fell asleep in turn.

 

When Magnus awoke on the next morning - because of course 4pm was the closest thing to morning to Magnus - he poured himself a huge cup of coffee before he got in the shower and then spent some time in his club. He inspected the inventory, browsed bills, booked all the material needed for next week's Glitter Party, and of course talked to Raphael to find new bands and DJs who could come and play at the club.

 

"Yes, Raphael. I see. No, I refuse to let this group play. Yes, I listened to the tape. No, it's awful,” Magnus sighed noisily, unhappy with his telephone conversation with his partner.

 

The door of the club opened and Isabelle and Raj entered, discussing about - about God knew what, Magnus rarely listened to them when they talked to each other. Raj was a friend of Isabelle. Magnus didn’t know how they had met, and he never bothered to ask, but they often spent time together and came to work, together every day.

 

"Are you two dating?" Magnus asked.

 

"What?!" Isabelle said with a horrified look before bursting out laughing. “Oh god no, why this idea?” 

 

Raj looked at her with disdain, clearly hurt by the young woman’s words, before going to put his coat in the locker room. He returned, still sulking, and began to prepare glasses and shakers. Raj was still a student, a business student if Magnus remembered well, and his cocktails were to die for. That was the main reason why Magnus had hired him.

 

“I wouldn’t go out with her, even if I was straight,” Raj said, pouting.

 

“Shut up Raj, you would totally date me.” Isabelle winked.

 

“Wait, you’re gay?” Magnus asked, surprised.

 

“Well, yeah. Is that a problem?” Raj asked as he raised an eyebrow, suspiciously. 

 

Magnus smiled and waved his hand before shaking his head and Raj smiled, because he knew Magnus wasn’t the type of boss who would fire him because he was gay, not like his former one. Magnus typed a quick message to Raphael, as he was looking at the new cocktail Raj was making, with a bit of vodka, cactus liquor, kiwi syrup and kiwi and cactus juice. The green color was a bit weird at first, but then Raj put three shotters on the counter and poured some of the liquid in all of them. 

 

Magnus took the shot, and drank it in one gulp, even though it was only 8pm and Pandemonium would open in a few hours. Magnus wasn’t the type of employer who wouldn’t drink during his working shift, and moreover, he wasn’t really working at night in the club, he was more of a chaperon, or a supervisor, taking care of his VIP guests. He sometimes helped at the bar if the club was crowded.

 

In fact, he could consider himself a really cool boss, by contrast to lots of people, but Magnus really liked that. 

 

“That’s pretty good, you can suggest it tonight to the client. Also, can you please make me a list of the new cocktails you made last month? I need to change the cocktail cards and I’ll add the new prices,” Magnus ordered as his phone was buzzing on the counter. 

 

“Bane,” he said.

 

“Magnus, it’s Raphael, we have a situation,” Raphael said, with a deep voice.

 

“If it’s a “Spanish band situation”, we already talked about it and the answer is-” Magnus started before Raphael announced him the news. 

 

“Meliorn won’t play tonight.” Raphael dropped that like a bomb and Magnus wasn’t sure if it was a joke or not.

 

“You’re joking right? This gig has been settled for months, he can’t just cancel like that,” Magnus blurted.

 

“Well, he can and he did. His agent just called me to say he couldn’t play. Apparently they have the right not to tell me why, and nothing in the contract specify he has the obligation to play tonight,” Raphael declared. 

 

“I already checked the contract a hundred times and it says that if Meliorn can’t come due to professional or personal reasons, he’ll have to refund you for the equipment rental and any other fees. So, hum, I have bad news, and good news.” Raphael had stopped talking and Magnus sighed, knowing he wouldn’t be pleased, anyway.

 

Magnus was massaging one of his temples with one hand, before inhaling noisily. The day had started well, until now.

 

"Start with the good news, please," Magnus begged sarcastically.

 

“You’ve already been refunded for the rental and other fees,” Raphael said, quite happily - or at least, as happily as Raphael could get.

 

“And the bad news is?” Magnus asked, a hand covering his face.

 

“We have no material for tonight, so we’re screwed.” Raphael declared with a gulp, waiting for Magnus’s reaction.

 

Magnus seemed very calm, if you were just looking at him, but inside, he was already opening the gates of Hell and was ready to throw anybody - preferably Meliorn and his agent - in it to slowly watch them burn and die at an excruciatingly, agonizingly slow pace. He would watch the entire scene, a Martini in his right hand, some olives in his left one and his trademark smirk plastered on his face. 

 

“If this little rat puts a foot, or even a freaking toe in my club again, I’ll make him eat and swallow his headphones and his arrogance. Nobody breaks a contract with Magnus Bane,” he said as he swallowed a new shot of whatever Raj had served him. 

 

“Can’t Simon play again tonight? Or anything?” Magnus asked.

 

“Not Simon, he’s got a gig in Detroit tonight, he’s already in the plane with the band.” Raphael answered.

 

“You gotta have something for me, Santiago, I know you do,” Magnus pleaded, seriously this time.

 

“Well there’s the-” Raphael started before Magnus cut him sharply.

 

“Anything but that atrocious Spanish group.” 

“Fine. I don’t have anyone else, though, but if you can find somebody within an hour, I should be able to get you some material. Hurry up,” Raphael said before he hung up. 

 

Magnus picked up a new shot, and began muttering several curses, all intended for Meliorn, even if the latter could not hear them. Magnus hoped that, wherever he might be, a piano or something extremely heavy would fall on him.

 

Magnus typed several messages to his friends, Ragnor and Catarina in particular, two of his closest ones, who were working in a record company, trying to find another DJ for tonight. Unfortunately, none of them had anyone available for the night.

 

It was now almost 9pm, the club was going to open in two hours, and Magnus was starting to be unbearably stressed out. He was sitting on the leather couch and after a final phone call, the boss of Pandemonium finally ended up throwing his cell phone across the room.

 

Isabelle joined him then, alarmed by the sound of the device shattering against the wall.

 

"Magnus, what's going on?" Isabelle asked, perplexed, raising an eyebrow.

 

"Meliorn ditched us for tonight, I haven’t managed to find a single free DJ for tonight, I'm in deep shit. People are coming to see a DJ, not to dance the Macarena, even if my sound equipment is on point.”

 

"Are you desperate?" Isabelle asked with a smirk Magnus couldn’t see.

 

"Oh yes." Magnus sighed. 

 

“I might have someone that could come tonight,” Isabelle affirmed. 

 

“Isabelle Lightwood, I swear you’re a lifesaver - or my guardian angel,” Magnus said, smiling, and gave her a high five. 

 

“Don’t thank me yet, I still need to convince him,” Isabelle said as she grabbed her phone, and in no time she was speaking with someone.

 

“Hey big bro, sorry to call you now, you’re not sleeping right? No I’m fine. Yeah I’m still at the club, and actually, we need your help.” Isabelle walked to the other side of the room but Magnus could still hear what she was saying. “No, but Alec it could be huge for you, I know you want to do it. Please it’s Friday, you’re not working tomorrow. Plus, my boss is totally your type. Be there. An hour, and please, put on that shirt I got you for your birthday. See you.”

 

When Isabelle returned, extremely joyful, to sit beside Magnus, the latter had to wait for a moment, before Isabelle gave him his most beautiful smile.

 

"You're saved, boss," Isabelle said with a smile.

 

"And, what is the name of my savior?" Magnus asked curiously.

 

"Isabelle!" she exclaimed with a smirk

 

"I mean, my other savior, the one I am "totally the type” of, as you said," Magnus inquired with a grin.

 

Isabelle laughed before showing Magnus the picture she had as her lock, the picture that Magnus already knew, because he had looked at it for five good minutes the day before. 

 

"This is my brother Jace, who came to pick me up last night. He works in a garage, he's a mechanic," Isabelle said, as she was showing the Blondie Magnus had seen. "That's Alec, my other big brother. He works in my father's law firm, but he's a DJ. He’s played at Hunter's Moon several times."

 

Magnus stared at the picture. Again those hazel eyes, those disheveled raven hair and that smile so small that it was almost hard to tell.

 

“Well, we’re not the Hunter’s Moon, Isabelle, but I- Your brother better be good, and not only as a DJ,” Magnus said, winking at her.

 

“Oh- Magnus, you know Alec is still-” Isabelle started but was interrupted by Magnus’s phone. 

 

“Oh it’s Raphael, I need to take that. Can you ask your sweet brother to bring his laptop with him? We’ll have everything else he needs here,” Magnus explained, before rising to his feet to up his phone.

 

Isabelle went to join Raj at the bar and began to prepare the opening of the club. The bar would open in less than twenty minutes, but the concert would not begin before at least two hours. Magnus watched them take out different bottles, fruits, sweets, syrups, from the storeroom while he was on the phone with Raphael.

 

"I need DJ material in twenty minutes maximum, bring it to the back door, I will close the curtains before opening the dance floor. I also need at least five sound technicians and some people to install everything, is that ok?” Magnus required.

 

“Everything is ok, we got the equipment, do you have the DJ?” Raphael asked, sounding either tired or annoyed. Or both. 

 

“I do, I don’t know him at all, but I had no choice. I need someone for tonight. And I can probably manage to get him in my bed too.” Magnus smirked.

 

“Are you really going to risk tonight’s gig because you want to get laid?” Raphael sighed.

 

“Are you kidding me? I’m not risking anything! If he’s good tonight I’ll make sure he’ll feel even better after that. And then- well if he screw up and the gig is a fiasco, I’ll make sure he feels better after that as well. I feel generous,” Magnus asserted. 

 

“Dios mio,” Raphael only muttered before he hang up. 

 

Raphael arrived about thirty minutes later with the equipment and qualified people to install it, and Magnus finally relaxed for a moment. He allowed Raphael to supervise the installation and Magnus passed the other side of the curtain.

 

Like every Friday night, the club was packed, and Magnus made his way to the bar where he asked for a glass of whiskey from Izzy. He also took the opportunity to ask when her brother would arrive.

 

"He should arrive any moment now but I'm busy Magnus, can you take care of Alec when he arrives?" Izzy asked.

 

"I'll be delighted," Magnus replied, smirking.

 

He didn’t have to wait for too long before a young man with raven-black hair entered the club. He glanced skeptically at his surroundings for a moment, and Magnus could feel that he wasn’t particularly at ease, so he decided he wouldn’t let the young man wait any longer, and made his way towards him.

 

Alec was tall, muscular, and very handsome. He had his headphones still on his ears and when Magnus approached, he could clearly distinguish Lady Gaga.

 

"Are you looking for something, or someone?" Magnus smiled at him.

 

Alec finally removed his headphones and casted a questioning glance at Magnus, whom he had surely not heard the first time.

 

"Sorry?" Alec asked, biting his bottom lip.

 

"I was asking if you were looking for something, or someone?" Magnus asked again.

 

"Yes, I'm looking for Isabelle Lightwood, she works here," Alec said calmly, despite the music that resonated in the room.

 

"Indeed, she works here, a charming person," Magnus declared. "Can I buy you a drink?"

 

"Hum- It's nice but I- I'm here to-" Alec stammered.

 

Magnus chuckled at seeing the poor boy looking for his words.

 

"What's so funny?" Alec asked, intrigued.

 

"Nothing, nothing at all," Magnus answered. “So, would you like a drink?”

 

Alec was still looking intrigued, but he let Magnus take him to the bar where Raj was serving cocktails with Victor, one of Magnus's other waiters. Victor had been here a few weeks, but he was doing well, attracting many clients. One could not say he was unpleasant to look at, and he had a devastating smile.

 

"Two specials Raj, please," Magnus ordered.

 

"I really shouldn’t drink, I have a -" Alec started before Magnus was placing a glass filled with a green liquid in front of him. "I really don’t drink. But, thanks."

 

Magnus looked at the young man attentively, half-seated on his stool as if the only thing that interested him was to go away, as if he were not interested, and, Magnus thought, why wouldn’t he be?

 

“Well, this isn’t really nice to refuse your employer’s gifted drink.” Magnus winked.

 

Alec was now looking at him in surprise.

 

“You’re Magnus Bane? I’m sorry!” Alec said, stretching his hand to shake Magnus’s. “I didn’t know who you were and I- Hum- I’m Alexander- Alec. Lightwood.” 

 

He was stammering again and Magnus thought he was going to have so much fun tonight. After he finished the two glasses, Magnus got up from his stool and asked for Alec to follow him behind the black curtains.

 

All the equipment was ready. Magnus noticed the amazement in Alec's eyes, and he looked back at the room. It was rather large, not a concert hall, but a dancefloor of a hundred square meters. Magnus had installed a new sound equipment, as well as a stage, which was in the center of the room. Alec smiled so lightly that Magnus had to stare at him for several seconds before seeing that the young man was actually smiling.

 

Magnus chuckled and put a hand on Alec's shoulder.

 

"I know it's not as fancy as the Hunter's Moon, but-" Magnus began.

 

Alec pushed back the hand that was on his shoulder, and looked at Magnus with the same confused look he had earlier, when Magnus had laughed when Alec had stammered.

 

"You like to make fun of me, don’t you?" Alec said, not amused at all.

 

Magnus was confused, a little joke had never hurt anyone, especially someone Magnus was trying to seduce.

 

"Alexander, this is far from what I have in mind.” Magnus smiled.

 

“Then what do you have in mind?” Alec asked, perplexed. 

 

Magnus grinned, but didn’t have time to reply that Raphael advanced towards them, looking exhausted. He was holding many papers in his hands, and looked like he was about to throw them anywhere in the room. 

 

"There's many cancellation fees we have to fix tomorrow, with the whole Meliorn thing, Magnus," he said, handing the contract to Alec and some paperwork for Magnus. "It's not a lot of money, but with your level and reputation, I can’t do better than that.” Raphael said, running a hand in his hair.

 

Raphael signed before he looked at Magnus with an angry glance. 

 

“I swear, this job is killing me. I need a drink and 24 hours of sleep, or you’ll soon be able to confuse me with a vampire. Those night shifts, Magnus! The night shifts! Dios! " Raphael exclaimed and he patted Magnus’s back, not so amicably, and before he headed for the bar.

 

“Raj, Tequila ! Now!” Raphael yelled. 

 

“He already a vampire to me,” Magnus whispered to Alec, who wasn’t even listening to him.

 

Alec had already begun to read the contract, when Magnus took it from his hands, and placed it on a chair nearby. Alec put his computer on the stage and ignored Magnus, who was coming back to him to put his stuff on the stage.

 

Magnus didn’t like being pushed back, especially by someone as cute as Alexander Lightwood. He climbed on the stage and looked at Alec, carefully installing and connecting all the cables, to connect them to his computer. He plugged in his headphones and carefully placed them on his ears.

 

Magnus saw Alec open more softwares on his computer and synchronize his playlists. Once the headphones on his ears, Alec no longer had the same aura, he seemed more confident, at ease, in his element. And Magnus couldn’t take his eyes off of Alec. 

 

Alec began to sing without noticing that Magnus was still beside him. He even began to wiggle slightly to the sound of music, his sweater, who seemed a bit too small, was tucking up with each of Alec’s movement. Magnus wasn’t going to complain, because that meant he could get a glimpse of Alec’s hips. 

 

Alec withdrew his sweater and put it on the floor with his bag, he had a black, simple t-shirt, with Yoda wearing headphone and sun glasses. Magnus smiled, he would not have thought Alexander was a nerd, but he himself loved Star Wars a lot. Magnus came behind Alec to see what he was doing and Alec jumped.

 

"I thought you were gone. I didn’t see-" Alec started.

 

Magnus was about to shush him and offer him to have a drink after his gig, but was interrupted by the voice of Raj, resounding in the room via the microphone that was at the bar.

 

"The show will begin in ten minutes, curtains will be open in five. I hope you're all ready to dance," Raj said, enthusiastic.

 

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, shut up Raj... Why did I give them a micro at the bar?” Magnus wondered out loud, before getting off the stage. “I’ll leave you to your job, Alexander, but be sure that you’ll see me afterwards” Magnus said with a wink and Alec raised an eyebrow. 

 

The curtains opened and Magnus could look at the room filling up little by little. At first he could see that the crowd didn’t seem to appreciate the presence of another DJ, especially because they had come for Meliorn’ performance. Magnus cursed Meliorn for a few more minutes before the rhythmic beats of the music Alec was mixing started filling the room. 

 

Magnus's eyes widened as he took in Alec’s body move in perfect synchronization. He felt like he was watching a god.

 

Alec had a hand on his headphones and the other hand played skillfully with the different buttons, pushing the faders a few times to change the beat. Alec was in his element, and Magnus could see it. Alec was using his space like it was a familiar place for him. 

 

Quickly the crowd began to move to the sound of the DJ's music. Magnus noticed that Alec had a tattoo on his wrist but from where he was, he could not tell what it was. And to be honest, Magnus was too focused on Alec’s bright smile, perhaps he was more looking at his hips wiggling, but let’s say he was looking at his smile. 

 

Magnus walked over to the bar, and stood beside Isabelle, who was serving beers.

 

"Tell me, Alexander, is he more of a flower, or a cologne man?” Magnus asked.

 

Isabelle smiled, before pouring a shot for Magnus. It was bright blue and Magnus raised an eyebrow, Isabelle gestured for him to try it. It was good, very strong but good. Magnus was still looking at Alec, who was sweating and running his free hand in his messy hair before he began to play a new song. After the first few notes, Magnus recognized the tune and a grin spread on his face on its own accord.

 

“Alejandro,” Magnus chuckled. “Your brother’s a fan of Lady Gaga, isn’t he?” Magnus asked while Isabelle was washing few glasses.

 

“You don’t like it?” Isabelle raised her eyes to look at her brother.

 

Alec was still moving with the song, but this time he had a wild smile on his face, but Magnus could understand how he felt. The crowd was dancing, and singing and yelling for more and more songs every time they thought it was over, and Alec continued playing until it was past 4am and the club was about to close. Magnus had drank more than he was used to tonight, and he wasn’t sure he would be able to climb the stairs to go home. 

 

Alec went down from the stage, and headed toward the bar where he smiled shyly to his sister, but he sat a few seats away from Magnus, and that, the latter didn’t like. 

 

Alec asked Isabelle for a large glass of water, even though Isabelle was trying to offer him anything with alcohol.

 

“Just a large glass of water Izzy. Remember I don’t drink. Plus, I need to go home soon,” Alec said with a smile.

 

Magnus finally decided to stand up and came to sit next to Alec, with all the grace and elegance his drunk self could muster, which meant, not a lot, and he almost tripped, but luckily, nobody noticed.

 

“Hey,” Alec said when he finally noticed Magnus. “Did you like it?” he said, still high from the gig.

 

“I’ve seen better, but that was ok,” Magnus answered, coldly.

 

_ What are you doing Bane? _ Magnus asked himself.  _ He was awesome and you know that. _

 

“What?” Alec asked, outraged. 

 

“Oh please, don’t try to brag, you were ok, but from the moment there’s music, people are happy,” Magnus declared. He had drank far too much.

 

_ Shut the fuck up, Bane, you’re going to regret this _ , Magnus thought, as he held a check to Alec, with more money on it that he should have given to him. He smiled slightly and winked.

 

“But maybe you can come to play here some other day, it would still be better than Hunter’s Moon.” Magnus grinned.

 

Alec grabbed the check and looked at it with disgust. Of course it was a huge amount of money, and he knew that for Magnus it hardly represented anything, but to Alec, it was too much and he felt sick. 

 

“Why are you like this?” Alec asked, anger oozing from his voice.

 

“Oh, because I can, Pretty Boy.” Magnus winked, leaning closer to Alec, and the DJ lost it.

 

“It’s all just a game to you, isn’t it? You’ve got this huge and popular club, you don’t have anything to worry about at the end of the day!” Alec was almost yelling, but nobody cared because the club was closing and everyone was going home, as the clock nearly showed 5am. 

 

Magnus was still listening to Alec, not saying anything, blinking unconsciously a few times .

 

“You think it’s easy, don’t you? Since I came here you kept making fun of me, you kept pushing me like I didn’t understand what you were trying to do? You think I’m stupid, don’t you?” Alec said, fists clenched and breathing heavily.

 

“I think you’re lying to yourself, Alexander,” Magnus said, like he had sobered up in no time, but he was still very drunk, even though Alec couldn't tell.

 

Alec looked at him with fear in his eyes, and began to shake, and Magnus didn’t know if it was out of fear or anger.

 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Alec spat. “You don’t know anything about me, so back off,” he growled as he was getting up of his stool, ready to go. 

 

“Alec, please, don’t-” Izzy started before Alec began to speak again.

 

“Why do you act like you care?” he yelled.

 

Alec took the check Magnus had given him and ripped it in pieces. Magnus was looking at him, amused, and chuckled. Alec was a complete idiot, if he thought he would have a chance to get that much money in one night elsewhere.

 

“You know what? I’d rather play at the Hunter’s Moon than here. At least, there are no assholes there,” Alec said as he threw the ripped out check at Magnus’s face. 

 

“Maybe no assholes, but I’m pretty sure there’s a closeted di-” Magnus didn’t even had the time to finish his sentence that Alec grabbed his glass and threw the liquid at his face. Apparently, Alexander Lightwood liked throwing things at people’s face. 

 

“Like I said, back off,” Alec barked before storming out the club, leaving with his jumper and his computer, but forgetting his headphones behind. Magnus grabbed a towel and began to wipe his face.

Thank god for waterproof makeup. 

 

When Magnus realized what he had just done, which was being a total asshole with the cutest guy he had ever met, Alec had already left and Isabelle was running after him, her coat and bag in her arms. 

 

“Alec! Alec wait !” she asked, out loud, and Magnus only heard Alec saying “Who the fuck does your boss think he is?!” before the door slammed shut, and there was only silence left in the huge and empty club.

 

Raj and Victor were washing the last glasses, looking at each other sometimes, but they didn’t say anything. They didn’t had to, Magnus glanced at them with his “Don’t even dare to say anything” look. So the two barmen just kept washing the last glasses, increasing their pace so they could leave as soon as possible. 

 

“Cabron,” Raphael said, totally unimpressed by Magnus’s behavior. 

 

“Ok, I don’t recall what that means, but I guess it’s not something that I’ll like, so I’ll just have another drink. Martini? Anyone?” Magnus said, walking towards the bar, before Raphael stopped him.

 

“I think you had enough for tonight,” Raphael remarked, gripping Magnus’s arm.

 

The latter didn’t even think about trying to argue with his friend. He knew that, first of all, Raphael was stronger than he was, and then- well, Raphael was really stronger than Magnus was so it would be pointless to even try, but also, his friend hadn’t had four daiquiris, two martinis and a sex on the beach. 

 

“I should stop drinking.” Magnus thought out loud.

 

Raphael sighed before letting go of Magnus’s arm, and asked Victor to get him a tall glass of water. When he saw Raphael with the glass, Magnus instinctively drew back.

 

“You want to throw it at my face, or are you coming in peace?” Magnus said as he raised an eyebrow.

 

“Dios, drink it and shut up,” Raphael begged as he sat up next to Magnus at the bar. “What was wrong with you? The kid was amazing, plus, I thought he was supposed to end up in your bed. In the end, the one who’ll get there tonight should be me, I’m way too exhausted to go home,” Raphael said, as he drank another shot of tequila. 

 

“Come on Rafi, it’s the fourth time this month you sleep at my place,” Magnus whined as he was reluctantly drank his glass of water. “I don’t like water. It taste like, like nothing.”

 

“Maybe, but it will help you avoid the hangover.” Raphael explained, asking for a second shot. “So, why did you lied to Pretty Boy?” Raphael asked, even though he didn’t really care about the answer. 

 

Magnus wasn’t sure, for years, he has closed himself to feel anything for anyone, and then Alexander had stepped into his club. The stunning man with his beautiful hazel eyes and his messy raven hair. Magnus wasn’t a fool that would have rush in and asked the boy to marry him already but, he had felt something, he didn’t know what, but he had.  

 

“I don’t know, he’s cute, I’m drunk, I panicked,” Magnus said, babbling in his drink. “I thought maybe he would respond something like: “Oh not that bad? Want to see if I can do better in bed?” and we would be fucking in my bed right now,” Magnus grunted as he dropped his head on the counter of the bar. 

 

“I can’t believe I’m still talking to you,” Raphael sighed and rose from his stool, to help Magnus stand up.

 

“It’s because you love me Rafi! Come on, I’ve known you since kindergarten, you were so adorable, remember when you had so much grape juice you-” Magnus began before Raphael dropped him on the floor. 

 

“Callate, I swear Magnus, callate,” Raphael threatened but Magnus laughed slightly. 

 

After Raj and Victor left, Magnus and Raphael headed up to Magnus’s loft,  just above the nightclub. 

 

Once they were settled on the couch, away from the crowd and the club, Magnus was finally quiet. He was breathing softly, and Raphael was almost asleep, his feet resting on Magnus’s marble table. Usually Magnus would have yelled at him, asking him if he was aware of “how much it cost” and that he should “get his stinky feets off of that wonderful thing”, but they were both too exhausted and Magnus had his head resting on Raphael’s shoulder. Raphael wasn’t saying anything, he was just listening to Magnus’s breathing. 

 

“Do you remember how I felt when Camille left?” Magnus said, absently. 

 

“How could I forget?” Raphael answered, taking Magnus’s hand in his, holding it tightly, twirling his fingers in Magnus’s palm.

 

Magnus remembered the look on Alexander’s face when he left, how he had seen the fear and the anger. Magnus knew he had been a complete asshole with the young DJ, but he couldn’t help it, he was the kind of guy who was used to screw up almost everything he did. The only thing he hadn’t screwed tonight was, indeed, Alexander Lightwood. 

 

When Magnus finally left his thoughts aside, he saw that Raphael was looking at him, worriedly, and Magnus smiled at him, he wanted to reassure his friend, tell him he was alright, and that he should probably call Alec to apologize. But Magnus wasn’t going to say that, because it was a lie, he wasn’t alright, and Raphael already knew.

 

“I don’t- I can’t- I don’t need anyone, not like this,” Magnus affirmed, closing his eyes, and falling asleep on Raphael’s shoulder.

 

“I know amigo, I know,” Raphael whispered 

 

And they both fell asleep on Magnus’s leather couch, in his huge loft in New York. 

When Magnus finally woke up several hours later, with the nice smell of coffee and waffles, it was already 3pm, and Raphael was in the kitchen, cooking. He hadn’t yet noticed that Magnus was awake and was trying to stand up from the couch. He could feel his head pounding with the amount of alcohol he had had last night, and his whole body was a battlefield where the third World War had just happened.

 

“Good morning wifey, you forgot to put on your apron again,” Magnus pouted, and made puppy eyes at Raphael.

 

“I’m burning your eggs,” Raphael declared, not even looking at Magnus, as the latter went to sit on the counter.

 

Magnus’s kitchen was rather large, like his whole flat. The area was open on his living room, with a long counter that was used as bar but also as a table to eat. Magnus sat on one of the stools and grabbed the biggest mug he had and Raphael immediately poured him some coffee. 

 

“So, how much of a wreck was I yesterday?” Magnus asked, massaging his temples. 

 

“Do you really want to know?” Raphael asked as he was placing a plate of waffles in front of Magnus. “Where’s your maple syrup?”

 

“In the fridge,” Magnus answered and watched Raphael walk towards the fridge. “I remembered fighting with that DJ guy and then we came back here, but- That’s it,” Magnus said, pouring maple syrup on his waffles when Raphael was done with it.

 

“Well nothing much to add,” Raphael lied. “We came here and fell asleep on the couch.” Raphael didn’t want to remind Magnus he had talked and thought about Camille. She had been Raphael’s friend as well, but she broke Magnus’s heart, and after that Magnus had-

 

“Are you listening to me, Rafi?” Magnus asked, waving his hand at Raphael’s face.

 

Raphael shrugged and grunted. He pushed Magnus’s hand away from his face and glanced at him.

 

“Callate, bacalao. I hate when you call me like that,” Raphael spat, before taking a huge piece of waffle in his mouth.

 

Magnus chuckled and managed to finish his plate as well, despite his hangover that was still showing. His headache wasn’t that strong. To be honest, Magnus had seen worse, so much worse than this. But fortunately for him, tonight was Saturday, which meant it was his day off, and he could relax tonight. When Raphael left around five, Magnus went to take a long and steamy shower. The hot water was running on his face, on his back, on his thighs, and Magnus couldn’t help but think about Alexander Lightwood. 

 

When he finally got out of the shower, a towel wrapped around his waist, he realized his phone was buzzing. He walked toward the drawer to catch his phone and see that he had a missed call from Isabelle. She had left a message.

 

“Hey Magnus, it’s me. Listen, I know you’re probably going to stay at the loft tonight as it’s your day off, but- Alec is playing tonight at the Hunter’s Moon and- Well, it could be an opportunity to apologize. Anyway, I’ll see you on Monday. Bye!” 

 

Magnus sat on the edge of the bed and sighed, biting his bottom lip. After a long moment of hesitation, he dropped his phone on the bed and stood up to get dressed. He would fix things tonight.

 

Or at least he planned to. 

 


	2. Don't call my name

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the awful way his encounter with Magnus Bane had gone, Alec think he'll finally be able to spend a serene night with all his friend's at the Hunter's Moon. Of course, what Alec wasn't aware of, was that someone would come along, and the evening would end up being quite more... eventful. 
> 
> (I suck so much at summaries, but hopefully, the content is better? xD)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, huge thank you to @Noksindra for being my 1st reader and motivating me to continue with this story that now means a lot to me :3 And of course, huge? Enormous? I don't think there's a word that can explain how much I wanna thank @Lecrit for her help and patience with little me ! Thank you my beautiful croissants <333
> 
> And of course, thank you all, for the amazing feedbacks you gave me here, or on twitter (you can follow me : @MaddyMoo__ ) it really means a lot, and I'm happy you seem to enjoy this project ! 
> 
> Cow kisses to y'all :*

When Alec came back from Pandemonium, he wasn’t only angry at Magnus, who had been a complete jerk tonight, but he was angry at himself too. He knew he shouldn’t have come to play at the club, but he was stupid enough to let Isabelle drag him there and make him play. 

 

The worst part in that story, is that he had actually found Magnus Bane attractive. The man was tall, not as tall as Alec but still, and he was wearing a maroon open shirt and his black tight jean and his black and glittery make up. 

 

But the guy was a complete asshole. Alec wasn’t comfortable with his situation. He was the eldest child of the family, so apparently it was ok for his parents to choose and decide his path for him. Thereby, they had chosen that he would learn law and mathematics instead of art and music, they made him work at his father’s lawyer office and forbid him to go to the awesome summer camps where all his musicians friends could go during breaks. 

 

And then, after he graduated and joined his father’s office, he simply forgot about his own dreams. He simply wanted his parents to be proud of him, being what they wanted him to be. 

Alec had always dreamed about being a DJ, changing music into something even more amazing, adding notes, adding sounds to make people dance, help them feel alive. 

 

He was a waiter at his favorite bar, The Hunter’s Moon, and when Jace was there to work with him, he could play and sometimes he would sing as well. Jace and Isabelle were the only ones of the Lightwoods knowing Alec was performing, and they would encourage him until Alec was ready to finally accept the fact that he would never be a lawyer like his father. 

 

Deep down, he hoped he would have the courage to confess to his parents he wanted something else, a different job, a different life. 

 

Alec was different. 

 

That’s why he had felt so angry when Magnus Bane, a complete stranger, managed to see right through him like he knew him for years, when even Jace didn’t know how Alec truly felt. He was so furious that night he had just left, forgetting his headphones, forgetting he just had the best time of his life. 

 

“Alec, please wait,” Isabelle shouted.

 

Alec didn’t stop at first, he was heading home, and he didn’t want to face his sister, but she was still calling his name.

 

“Stop it!” Alec yelled, as he stopped walking, and turned away.

 

“Alec I-” Isabelle started. “He didn’t mean that, I know Magnus, he just had too much to drink and-” 

 

“Ok, so because he’s drunk, that gave him the right to be an asshole?” Alec asked, his eyes widening in disbelief. 

 

“No, of course not, but- Listen it was a rough night for all of us, I just wanted to make sure you were ok,” Isabelle said. 

 

“I am,” Alec lied. “He just- He was an ass, and I- I overreacted. I guess.” 

 

“He isn’t always like that,” Isabelle said with a soft smile. 

 

“Why are you defending him?” Alec asked, rolling his eyes. 

 

“You can’t judge someone on the first impression Alec, maybe you should give him another chance?” Isabelle suggested.

 

Alec didn’t say anything, he knew it was true, and that if he gave another chance to that Magnus guy, maybe, who knows, he could probably find out that indeed Magnus is a charming man. But he wasn’t ready for this, he wasn’t ready for anything. 

 

“I should go, I’m exhausted, and I have paperwork to do tomorrow if I can at least sleep for a few hours.” Alec sighed. “You want me to walk you home?” 

 

“No, it’s fine, I’m going home with Raj and Victor, they’re going to walk me home, plus it’s a detour for you,” Isabelle said, as she was heading back to the club.

 

“Are they- I mean, I know Raj is but- You know-” Alec stammered.

 

Isabelle smiled, she knew what Alec was trying to say.

 

“I don’t know, they didn’t officialize yet, but I think there’s something between them.” Isabelle winked at Alec and the latter turned bright red, before he turned away, however checking if Isabelle was safe by herself. When he saw she was walking home between Victor and Raj, Alec smiled and began to walk home.

 

Unfortunately, after he left Pandemonium and Isabelle, he had decided to run back home, under a pouring rain, instead of calling for a cab. And when he arrived, he was already soaked by the rain. He took off his sweater and his shirt first, then his pants and boxer before he turned on the water and sunk into a warm and bubbly bath. 

 

Once he was in his bath, he put on some music on his phone. Lady Gaga would do, as always. And he stayed there for at least forty minutes, singing Bad Romance, which was one of his favorite songs. 

 

When Alec got out of the bath, it was already 6.30am. He looked at the clock and sighed, because he knew he could only sleep between three and four hours before his father would call him to demand if the paperwork had been done. 

 

It was half done actually and Alec was sure he could finish it by the end of the day, he may not like law and paperwork but he was good at it. But even though he was doing a good job, this wasn’t it. Alec wasn’t happy with his life, and he only wished he could start living for himself, but for now, he couldn’t manage to do that, because he was afraid. 

 

_ “I think you’re lying to yourself, Alexander.”   _

 

Alec grunted, remembering Magnus’ words and collapsing on his bed, his raven hair spreading on his pillow, trying to forget that tonight had ever happened. That’s how things worked with Alec, when something went bad, he’d rather told himself it never happened.

 

That night, or more precisely that morning, Alec had trouble to fall asleep, and every single time he would close his eyes, Magnus Bane was there, smiling at him, with a hand on his shoulder and Alec shrugged. He was turning and turning around in his bed, until he finally succumbed to slumber.

 

When Alec’s phone rang around 9am, the young man jolted in his bed, and answered immediately, trying not to sound too sleepy.

 

“Yes, Dad,” Alec said mechanically. 

 

“Don’t tell me you’re still in bed, Alexander. Did you go out last night?” Robert asked coldly.

 

“No, that’s- I just had trouble to sleep, I worked late yesterday,” Alec said before he quickly added, “on the case, I mean- I worked late on the case and-”

 

“Right, on the case,” Robert said. “I need you to bring me the papers, first thing Monday morning. Understood?” 

 

“Yes, of cour-” Alec didn’t had the time to finish that his father was hanging up. 

 

Alec sighed, but didn’t move, because he couldn’t and didn’t want to. Instead he took his Ipod on his drawer and put on his spare headphones, so nothing around him would matter anymore. It would only be him and music. 

 

He put on one of his numerous playlists and clicked on the shuffle mode, waiting for the first tune to began. He closed his eyes hearing the first notes of One by Ed Sheeran, and he sighed. He loved that song, and even though he was more of a Radiohead guy, he didn’t mind listening to Ed Sheeran or The Frays sometimes when he wasn’t in the mood for Lady Gaga. 

 

His eyes were still closed and he began to move his hand trying to recreate the melody has he would do on a piano, his fingers moving and wandering over an imaginary keyboard. And he let the world stop and spinned around him for a moment, as he was now listening to the Fray’s whole album, and before he knew it, it was late, and he really had to go back to work before heading to the Hunter’s Moon. 

 

He didn’t like his job. Not only was it boring but he was working with both of his parents, which meant he clearly had no liberty to do anything, even on his lunch break, because his parents would take him out to eat every single day. This wasn’t the worst part, they would bring Lydia and Aline with them as well. Not that Alec didn’t like the girls, no, on the contrary, Lydia and Aline were Alec’s best friends, and they both had lovely girlfriends, that Alec really liked as well. Aline’s girlfriend Helen was working in a  thrift shop she owned not far away from the dinner where Aline, Lydia and Alec liked to go to regularly after work and that’s how they both met, when Alec accidentally spilled his milkshake on Aline and they were supposed to go out at the Hunter’s moon after that.

 

Helen just came to ask Aline if she wanted to come to her shop because she’d probably have something that could suit Aline. Then the two girls came together at the Hunter’s moon and never let go of each other again. They even moved in together recently, and Alec couldn’t have been happier for them, because he liked to say Aline and Helen wouldn’t be together if he hadn’t spilled his drink on her that day.

 

“True, we’re together because you’re a clumsy Cupid,” Aline would say every time Alec would talk about it.

 

And every time they would talk about it, the other same line would follow. 

 

“Too bad he didn’t spilt his drink on you Lyd, because I would have given you a spare shirt, but before that, I would have seen you half naked,” Maia would say, grinning while kissing Lydia’s cheek.

 

Maia was Lydia’s girlfriend, but she was also Alec’s colleague and he met her three years ago when he started to work at the Hunter’s Moon to pay for his law degree. Maia was always so full of joy and energy, and Alec loved spending time with her.

 

Truth be told, Maia was the one to encourage Alec to do some gigs at the Hunter’s Moon, and so every Saturday night, he would set his equipment, which wasn’t as impressive as Magnus’s but he couldn’t complain, he loved mixing here, even if the material was a bit cheap. Alec was going to slap himself if he thought about Magnus again. Anyway, Alec introduced Lydia to Maia soon after they began to work together, they simply exchanged their phone number after dancing together on “Bad Romance” at one of Alec’s gigs.

 

They would hang out all together with Jace, and his girlfriend Clary sometimes, as Jace was working every weekend at the bar with Alec and Maia, and Clary, who was attending Art School, was free from classes. 

 

But, the main problem was still the same, Alec’s parents didn’t know that their son was gay, and he wasn’t ready to tell them anytime soon, because he knew how they would react, which implied the usual “you’re just searching for yourself” and “it’s just a phase, it’ll change with time.” 

 

No, definitely not, Alec Lightwood was as straight as a cooked spaghetti, and he knew that, just as Lydia and Aline knew as well. But this wasn’t solving Alec’s biggest problem. 

 

Alec’s parents were trying to arrange dates between him and Lydia. Or Aline. Or both? Alec wasn’t sure, but his parent’s were definitely trying to set up something.

Telling him “You went out with Lydia last night, right? She’s an admirable young woman, she does a fine job here, and would be welcome anytime in the family.” or “I saw you talking with Aline in the corridor, how are things going between you two?” 

 

There were moments when Alec just wanted to shout at them and tell them “No I don’t want to date either Lydia or Aline” or maybe something something stronger like “I’m not attracted to women, I like boys! I like dicks okay?”But maybe that was probably too strong and the risk of causing his parents a heart attack was high.

 

Indeed, thinking about it, maybe the whole “I like dicks” thing was a bit too much but the idea was there: Alec didn’t want to disappoint his parents, but he couldn’t live like this anymore, he was living in a lie, and denying it wouldn’t change anything. Alec was still in the closet, and, unfortunately, he wasn’t about to come out. 

 

He found himself once more thinking about Magnus and his ravishing smile, his confidence, and- and his cocky behavior that made Alec throw not only a huge check away but also a glass of water to his face. He didn’t regret any of those actions. Maybe ripping that check Magnus gave him had been a mistake, but Alec didn’t mind money. His job was really well paid and that was the only reason why he was still working there. He also gave half of his salary to IMC, Idris Medical Center for children with mental illness.

 

Isabelle was working all day at Idris MC, but it was a small center and she wouldn’t earn a lot of money, and she also had this job at Pandemonium four nights a week and she was always so exhausted when Alec saw her, even though she was hiding it behind her radiant smile. 

 

She had refused many times that Alec shared his salary with her, so in return he would give to the center to help as much as he could.

 

The Lightwood siblings were hard-workers, all of them. They were fighters. Since he had started college to study law and economics, Alec had taken a part-time job as a waiter at the Hunter’s Moon with Jace. At first they were working on weekends and once or twice on weekdays. Then Alec had gotten his degree and started working with his parents while Jace found a job as a mechanic downtown, and  met his girlfriend Clary, who was the stepdaughter of Jace’s boss, Mr Garroway. 

 

But even now, both of them were still working at the Hunter’s Moon during weekends and sometimes they would come a day in the week so Alec could perform, sometimes with Jace. Although Jace hadn’t touched a keyboard for a long time. They didn’t understand why Isabelle had chosen to work at Pandemonium in the first place when she could have joined the Hunter’s Moon team with her siblings. 

 

But no, she had graduated from med school a year ago and she was still working in that loud and crowded place.  _ Said the man who played there yesterday and had the best freaking night of his life, of course Alec, you’re the one who has the right to complain about a place being noisy,  _ Alec thought as he finally got out of his bed, placing the sheets on the mattress. It wasn’t as tidy as his bed was at his parent’s home but it would do.

 

He sat in front of the case he had to write a report on, and truth be told, it was the most boring case he has ever been working on: a man had stolen a cat to an old lady in his neighborhood because he forgot to buy something for his daughter's birthday and Alec had to find how to defend him against the court. Obviously, the man had no bad intention, he thought the kitten was abandoned and simply took it while he was in the old lady’s garden.

 

Well, the kitten didn’t have any collar and nothing stipulated that the lady was the cat’s owner, so Alec decided he would use this and simply explained the whole situation. The man had been unemployed for more than a year, and unfortunately, he forgot his daughter’s birthday because on the same day he had an important job interview, and when he came home, the stores were close and he was so happy he finally had a good news, he wanted a special present. Knowing that his daughter had always wanted a pet, but they couldn’t afford it, he just took the little kitten. And on top of that, he was outside on a rainy day, all by himself. 

 

Alec began to write his report and by the time he was done with all the paperwork, it was almost time to go. 

 

He wasn’t feeling that good after what he had been through the day before at Pandemonium and he felt like he wanted to call Maia and cancel tonight’s gig. He was tired- no, he wasn’t even tired, he was exhausted, but he had promised to Maia and Lydia that he would be there and moreover, they wanted him to sing tonight, and he clearly wondered why he had accepted to do that. Alec didn’t mind singing in front of his friends during karaoke nights, or under his shower. He didn’t even remember that moment, when he had been so weak that he actually accepted to sing tonight. With a bit of luck, he’d be able to avoid that.

 

Alec sighed before he slowly slid under a  steamy hot shower, it wouldn’t wake him but at least he would feel better. He could feel the hot water running on his body as he was wiggling his hips, singing while listening to The Chainsmokers. 

 

“I know it breaks your heart, moved in the city in a broke down car-” Alec was singing as the song was playing in the background, running his hand full of shampoo in his hair, closing his eyes and wiggling his head at the sound of the feminine voice. He couldn’t sing that high, because his voice was too low-pitched. 

 

“So baby pull me closer in the backseat of your rover, that I know you can’t afford.” 

 

By the end of the song, Alec was out of the shower, a towel around his waist, another one rolled around his head to prevent his moistened hair to fall on his forehead and soak his shirt. He simply put on a black shirt with a simple design: a pair of red sunglasses with headphones wrapped around the glasses, then he put on a denim shirt that he kept open so his shirt was visible, and a pair of black jeans that Izzy bought him a while ago. Because of course, Izzy was buying him a lot of clothes, as Alexander Lightwood was anything but a shopping addict, on the contrary. Why waste your time in a crowded clothes shop when he could order everything on the internet and it would be cheaper? So Alec would rather stay at home, ordering his clothes, or, let Izzy buy some for him.

 

But sometimes, he wouldn’t mind Izzy buying him some cool and nerdy shirts, or cool shaped trousers, that would make him look stunning, because Izzy knew what made Alec look amazing. Not that he needed anything particular, Alec was aware he was seductive, and truth be told, he wasn’t even doing anything, as Jace was always saying.

 

“We’re Lightwoods, Alec, we were born charming and handsome.” 

 

Alec laughed at the thought when he remembered how Aline, Helen, Maia, Lydia and even Clary snorted after that comment, and Jace’s face, acting like he was outraged, and it had made everyone laugh even more. And Alec found himself smiling as he shut the door of his apartment, now on the way to the Hunter’s Moon.

 

It was probably the only best thing in Alec’s life, his siblings and friends. Even with Alec’s parents and his boring job at the law office, he still managed to found some happiness even in the darkest places, and the worst moments. Of course, Alec knew he couldn’t complain. He basically had everything: a job that allowed him to earn money that could actually help save children’s life, and even if he hated his job, it was worth it. He had three amazing siblings, Jace and Isabelle of course, but also, and even though he didn’t see his baby brother Max much, he was glad to have him too. He had the most amazing friends he could have dreamed of, why would he ask for more? 

 

When Alec finally walked in the Hunter’s Moon, all of his friends were already there, at the bar, at their usual seats, because of course, they had their own part of the counters where Jace had curved their initials in the woods about a year ago, and almost got fired because he was drunk back in time, and degrading the counter was pretty forbidden, but he did it anyway. So now, everytime Alec sat on a stool he could see “J - A - I - C-  L - M - A- H” carved in the wood, he loved running his hand on it, feeling the wood under his fingers. 

 

“No, but I mean, he’s super hot, and I really hope he will come tonight,” Isabelle said, as Alec stopped behind her.

 

“Who do you hope will come tonight?” Alec asked, as he took off his leather jacket, hanging it on his stool. 

 

“Nobody,” Isabelle urged and Alec raised an eyebrow. 

 

“You look great tonight, Alec!” Clary said, nudged against Jace as the latter was already finishing his beer. “I love your shirt!”

 

“Thanks Clary!” Alec said with a small smile. “Do you know where Maia is? I need to settle my computer and check on the bass. It was terrible the other day, and I don’t want it to ruin tonight’s playlist.” 

 

“Hum, I think she’s at the back door, she was expecting a delivery,” Aline said, her head on Helen’s shoulder, hugging her girlfriend from behind.

 

Alec nodded and smiled, heading to the back door to search for Maia. 

 

Alec was happy with his friends and all of them being couples, this wasn’t the problem. He just felt, sometimes, a bit lonely, not because of them, of course, but because he wanted to feel like this too. He wanted to be with someone too, having someone he could talk to, someone he could hold in his arms, someone with whom he could share his feelings and his heart. But, even if he wanted that, he couldn’t hide it from his friends, and besides Izzy, who had found out by herself, nobody knew about Alec’s feelings, and he wasn’t ready to tell them. He didn’t really know if he would ever be ready, but, the only thing he knew, was that right now, he just needed a moment with his friends. 

 

He would play tonight as almost every Saturday night, and like every Saturday, he would be able to forget everything, and particularly he would be able to forget about last night. He had had the time of his life playing with such an awesome sound and lighting equipment but he couldn’t forget what Magnus had said about him living in a lie. How  could Magnus have know that? 

 

“Alec? Hey Alec, watch out!” Maia said as Alec tripped on some cables that were on the floor. Before he could understand what happened he found himself on the floor/ Fortunately, he had some time to place his hands on the floor to avoid to hurt his head, but he badly scratched his hands on the stoned covered floor that lead to the back door. 

 

“Are you ok? You seemed elsewhere, you didn’t see the cables?” Maia asked, placing a hand on Alec’s shoulder, handing her other hand so she could help him stand up.

 

“No I- I didn’t see them,” Alec said, quickly rubbing his hands on his jeans to wipe the dust off, he had really wounded his hands and he was bleeding a bit but he simply continued to rub his hands on his jeans.

 

“Are you alright? You didn’t seem well, did something happened yesterday?” Maia asked as she was pushing a trolley full of beer, wine and other drinks for tonight.

 

“What?” Alec froze, thinking about last night, but Maia probably didn’t know already, right? 

 

“Yeah, Isabelle told Clary you played at Pandemonium and that Bane was a total douche with you. I’m surprised, though. I met him a few times, he seemed very nice,” Maia said, when they arrived behind the counter and they started to put the bottles in the fridges. 

 

“Yeah well, he’s not that nice, he really was an ass,” Alec affirmed, before he looked at the clock. “I’m going to set up my stuff. Tell me when I can start, ok?” Alec smiled as Maia winked at him. 

 

Alec walked toward the small area they had arranged in the back of the bar. Truth be told, it really wasn’t much, nothing compared to Magnus’s equipment. Alec shook his head. He was once again thinking about Magnus Bane.  _ Why the hell would you be thinking about him right now? Focus, Lightwood, focus. _ Alec told himself as he was opening his computer.

 

He was about to place his headphones on his ears when he realized they weren’t around his neck, he checked his bag, his laptop’s pod, his backpack, but nothing was there.

 

“Looking for this?” a familiar voice said behind him and Alec turned around to see a more than seductive Magnus Bane before him. Alec couldn’t deny the fact that the man was very handsome and had a sex appeal that almost would have made Alec drool if he didn’t already know Magnus.

 

He was wearing a black and opened shirt that was unbuttoned till the navel, and his numerous jewels were hanging on his chest. He had maroon tight pants and his nails were painted in glitter black, probably to match his makeup. 

 

Magnus was holding Alec’s headphones and was handing them to him, but the latter was just standing there, mouth opening and closing as he was trying to figure out what to say. So he simply took the headphones and nodded to Magnus, who smiled at him.

 

“It’s nice to see you without a glass in your hand, Alexander,” Magnus said, as he watched Alec put on his headphones.

 

“Well, I’m not really sorry,” Alec said, barely looking at the man in front of him.

 

“Then, would you let me apologize and make it up to you?” Magnus asked, still smiling at the young man.

 

“How?” Alec asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

 

“I know a place nearby who make the best pizzas, if you let me invite you, of course,” Magnus said, coming closer to Alec, who instinctively drew back, to Magnus’ surprise.

 

“I’m not going to eat you Alexander, even though I’m not saying I wouldn’t like to.” Magnus smirked this time.

 

Alec frowned, he wasn’t insensitive to Magnus’s charm or propositions and he was nearly ashamed to admit he wouldn’t mind going on a date, if this was even a date, with Magnus Bane. But he glanced around him and saw that everyone was looking at them, murmuring things, and even though Alec thought they probably were just talking about how hot Magnus Bane looked in those tight jeans, Alec couldn’t help but freak out. 

 

“I- I don’t know I-” Alec began before Maia walked up to them.

 

“Alec, you need to start in two minutes, are you ready?” she asked and Alec panicked. He wasn’t quite ready yet, but he sighed in relief when he saw Magnus was walking toward the bar, the thing he didn’t see or didn’t hear was that Magnus winked at him saying that he would come to see him after the show.

 

Alec sighed, seeing the man sitting next to Isabelle, shaking Jace’s hand and winking at Clary. The little redhead stood to hug Magnus.

Ok what? Did she know him? Alec shook his head. Why would he mind? It wasn’t any of his business, and he finally adjusted his headphones before he synchronized his playlist on his computer and music began to fill the air. But there was no way he could help himself from glancing from time to time towards Magnus, who was now chatting with everybody, and all his friends were laughing, smiling and cheering with him. 

 

Maybe it was time for Alec to get everyone on the dance floor. So he waited for the ongoing song to end, before he pressed play, a wild smile on his face as he saw all his friends turning back to him. “Just Dance” by Lady Gaga was their song. Jace and Clary were the first ones to stand up and start dancing together, body pressed against each other, and Jace ended up carrying Clary in his arms, the smaller one laughing out loud. Aline, Helen and Lydia followed, soon joined by Maia, who finished her beer. 

 

Thirty seconds later, almost everyone was now on the dance floor and Alec felt so proud at this very moment, seeing all those people dancing because they were enjoying the music, that’s what really made him happy. He didn’t even realize Magnus had also joined the group with Isabelle. And Alec almost dropped the mic he had just taken in his hand. 

 

“Holy fu-” Alec muttered when he saw Magnus dancing. The man clearly didn’t disappoint. Wiggling his hips with a sinful movement, his hands moving above his head, his jewels waving as his body moved gracefully. 

 

Alec quickly snapped out of his mind when he saw Magnus was staring at him, and Alec had no idea for how long he had been watching him, but when Magnus winked at him, he blushed before he uploaded the rest of the playlist and put on some Daft Punk music, taking his headphones off so he could relax for a while.

 

When Jace came over, Alec opened his bottle of water and took a long sip before he smiled at his brother who was still high from the dancing. 

 

“Hey pal, that was great !” Jace beamed at him.

 

“Thanks, I need to take a small break,” Alec said, wiping some sweat off his forehead. “Listen, I wanted to ask you-”

 

“Hey Alec!” Maia yelled from the other side of the room. “Got you a free beer, get your magnificent ass right here before I drink it!” 

 

“Let’s go or the boss is going to be mad!” Jace said, patting Alec’s back. “You wanted to ask me something?” 

 

Alec wanted to ask Jace what they had talked about with Magnus, he wanted to know if he had say something about him. Not that it really mattered what Magnus thought of Alec, not at all, but he was just curious. Truth be told, he really wanted to know, and that annoyed him more than it should. 

 

“Well I- No, I forgot what it was,” Alec lied.

 

“If you can’t remember, means it wasn’t relevant!” Jace chuckled, as they came to the bar and sat next to each other.

 

Jace sat next to Clary, and because fate had decided to punish Alec for something he might have done in a past life or something, he had to sit next to Magnus Bane, who was sensually taking a sip from his Martini. 

 

“Alexander, that was quite a show,” Magnus purred next to him.

 

“Well, I thought you were going to say otherwise,” Alec almost spat and Magnus sighed.

 

“Listen, I’m sorry for the way I reacted yesterday. I really didn’t mean to-” Magnus started.

 

“That’s ok. I shouldn’t have thrown that glass at you, that was- maybe, a bit- I overreacted,” Alec said softly. He didn’t really wanted to admit it, but he wasn’t really sorry about the glass, though he wasn’t going to tell Magnus. “Also, about the piz-”

 

“You’re bleeding!” Magnus exclaimed, pointing at Alec’s knees. 

 

Alec looked at Magnus at first, then at the blood still flooding from his hands, and drying on his jeans. He remembered falling in the hallway sooner when he was searching for Maia, but there was nothing to worry about. Maybe he reopened the wounds while dancing and playing the songs on his mix table. 

 

“That’s no big deal, I’ll clean it later, when I’ll get home,” Alec said, ignoring Magnus’s worried face. He simply took the beer in front of him and drank a long and fresh sip. Alec didn’t really drink because first, he didn’t really appreciated the taste of alcohol; and second, the one time he had been drunk, he had regretted it, and he still did, but he prefered forgetting about that.

 

“Maia! Do you have a first aid kit or something?” Magnus asked and Alec almost choked on his beer.

 

“In the storage room, why? Are you alright?” Maia asked, raising an eyebrow.

 

“Yeah, Alexander must have scratched his knees and hands, he’s bleeding, I’m going to check if it’s not infected,” Magnus said, standing up.

 

“Wha- Wait ! It’m fine I-” Alec began but before he could say anything else, Magnus took Alec by the arm and dragged him toward the storage room, before Alec could say anything, Magnus opened the door, and suddenly they were almost pressed against each other in the small cupboard. 

 

“Is this a storage room or does Harry Potter lives here too?” Magnus asked, searching for some space they could use. “Can you sit on that box, while I grab the first aid kit, it should be- oh there it is, got it!” Magnus exclaimed as he took the box and turned around to face an embarrassed Alec.

 

“Come on, sit!” Magnus said as he came closer.

 

“Told you, I’m fine,” Alec muttered as he sat.

 

Magnus began with his hands, using some alcoholic solution to clean it first. The dry blood wasn’t easy to take off and Alec winced several times before he finally relaxed, letting Magnus clean his hands.

 

“How did you manage to do that?” Magnus asked with a smirk.

 

“I fell,” Alec answered, not looking at Magnus because he was already too embarrassed by the situation, and there was no way he would tell Magnus he fell because he was thinking about him. Suddenly, Alec snapped out of his mind and looked at Magnus with blown eyes.

 

“Wha- Say that again,” Alec said, panicked.

 

“I need you to take off your jeans. So I can clean that too.” Magnus said, impassive. 

 

“You know what, I’ll do that myself, no big deal,” Alec said as he tried to stand up but Magnus wasn’t having it and attempted to make him sit back down. Unfortunately, in the process, Magnus’s face met Alec’s knee, and the latter grunted, holding his nose. Thankfully, Magnus only had a small scratch due to the fabric of the jeans, but he wasn’t bleeding. 

 

“You owe me now, come on, pants off,” Magnus ordered, holding his nose, and Alec sighed but he unbuttoned his jeans, taking them off, and growling when the dried blood stayed glued to the fabric, making his knees bleed once again. Alec sat on the box while Magnus carefully removed some pieces of strings from the jean that had dried with the blood. Surprisingly, Magnus didn’t say anything and continued to clean Alec’s knees. 

 

“All done!” Magnus exclaimed. 

 

“Thank you,” Alec whispered, so low that if Magnus hadn’t been so close to him, he wouldn’t have heard it. 

 

“You’re very welcome Alexander,” Magnus said, as he stood up and smiled. Alec followed and pulled his pants on.

 

“Can- can you stop calling me like that? I- I don’t-” Alec began, as he had trouble fastening the button of his jeans. His hands were shaking, and he didn’t even know why.

 

“Alexander?” Magnus purred, as he was provoking him, but Alec was too focused on his jeans to truly notice.

 

Alec couldn’t manage to get dressed, and his whole body began to shake now. Why was he like this? Why couldn’t he manage to stay calm in front of Magnus, whom he barely knew? He was scared. Scared of the effects the man had on him, and scared of his own emotions that he couldn’t control.

 

“Alexander?” Magnus asked intrigued, when he saw Alec was still struggling with his jeans, and not answering.

 

Alec decided to give up with his pants, and he finally raised his head towards Magnus, eyes filled with angry tears. 

 

“Why do you keep doing this?” Alec finally said, after a moment where he stayed silent, simply looking at Magnus.

 

Magnus didn’t understand at first, but then he realized the young DJ was simply still fighting his own emotions, and Magnus couldn’t help but come closer to Alec, raising a hand towards his cheek, and Alec drew back, hitting the wall behind him. He quickly remembered he was in the small storage room so he couldn’t go very far. 

 

“Don’t-” Alec said, his voice cracking. He felt so vulnerable right now, and he hated it.

 

“Oh, Alexander. Why are you lying to yourself?” Magnus said, his hand on Alec’s cheek.

 

Alec shivered, he didn’t know what to do, he couldn't move, he couldn’t speak. He was simply standing here, waiting for Magnus to withdraw his hand, but the man didn’t. Alec was still shaking, and he couldn’t tell if it was because he was afraid, or because he was still irritated. But he just wanted to go home, and never see Magnus again. He couldn’t manage to stay calm when Magnus was there, and he didn’t want to endure those feelings each time they would be close to each other. 

 

“Stop doing this to me,” Alec sobbed, he didn’t meant to say that out loud, but he did, and he instantly regretted it. “You- it hurts.” 

 

Alec felt his heart clenching in his chest. Why was he telling all this to a stranger who didn’t know a thing about him, about his life, about what he had been going through?

 

“I’m not the one hurting you Alexander, you’re doing this to yourself,” Magnus said calmly, his hand now stroking Alec’s cheek and Alec finally pushed away his hand. 

 

“I told you to stop this!” Alec shouted. “You don’t know a single thing about me, and you grant yourself the right to tell me what I should do? What if my life satisfies me just the way it is?” Alec lied. Of course he didn’t like his life very much, there were so many things he wanted to change, so many things he wanted to say, but he couldn’t. 

 

“Maybe, but I can see you’re not honest with yourself, and your friends. You’re lying to everybody, but the worse is that you’re denying it.” Magnus began to frown, and Alec tried to escape. As he was at the door, Magnus took hold of his wrist. 

 

“You should stop running, it will only make things worse. Trust me,” Magnus said, still holding on Alec’s wrist.

 

“Like things weren’t horrible enough, you want me to go to see my friends and my family, and then what? You think it’s easy?” Alec frowned, and Magnus could see he was angry, but then he chuckled, faking a laugh. “That’s it! Oh! You really think that, don’t you? That I can just tell them how I feel? Because I feel miserable Magnus, and maybe just lying is the best thing I can do, ok?” Alec was furious, that at this very moment he didn’t see the door opening.

 

“I’m lying telling them my job is doing ok, but it’s not, it’s exhausting me and I hate how they treat me there. I’m lying telling them I’m fine when I’m not because I don’t want them to worry when we already have bigger problems to deal with. And of course I’m lying not telling them I’m gay!” Alec was still shaking, clenching his fist, breathing heavily to control his sobs.

 

“Oh Alec,” someone whispered, and Alec’s eyes widened. 

 

“No. No, no no,” he said, shaking his head, not looking at the door. Because he knew that Maia was there, he had recognized her voice, and he didn’t want to see if someone else was with her.

 

“It’s ok, Alec,” Helen said, softly. 

 

Alec stayed silent, and finally Magnus let go of his wrist, he could see Magnus felt sorry for him, but he couldn’t care less, he was about to burst into tears, standing there and not saying a word. He didn’t know what he was waiting for, maybe he just wanted, needed Magnus to say he didn’t meant to push on him like this, but it was now too late. Alec was resting against the wall, not moving, not saying anything, his eyes shut and Magnus could see he was holding in either a sob or a wave of anger. 

 

“Alexander, I-” Magnus said after few seconds, but he couldn’t finish because Alec pushed him against the other wall. 

 

“Oh don’t you dare!” Alec warned him. “Those past twenty four hours had been a total disaster and it’s all your fault !” Alec yelled, as Magnus stumbled and fell on empty boxes. 

 

“Everything has gone wrong in just a day because of you ! Why do you feel the need to make me feel miserable? Because you know what, I don’t need you for that, I already feel miserable.” Alec was holding back a sob, his back resting once again against the wall. He let himself slide against the bricks, hurting his back until he finally sat on the floor. He brought his knees to his chest and wrapped his hands around them, burying his head, sobbing quietly, so no one could see the tears flowing on his cheeks. 

 

“Alexander, I’m so sorry I, I didn’t meant to-” Magnus said, while standing up.

 

“Leave,” Alec weeped, his voice was calm but his head still buried in his arms. “Please, I don’t want to see you. Ever. Please, please, pl-” 

 

“Right. Goodbye Alexander,” Magnus said, turning around toward the exit of the storage room. He glanced quickly at Maia and Helen, who were the only one standing at the door. He didn’t have to say anything, the girls nodded and Magnus left, and Alec realized he was holding his breath, and let out a loud sigh, as the man was finally gone.

 

As Magnus left, Alec felt the tears flowing even more and he couldn’t manage to lift his head, but he knew he was gone. He felt a hand on his shoulder and he knew it was Maia, he could recognize the awkward but soft way she had to press her hand on his shoulder when he was in the blue, or even when he was sick. 

 

“Alec,” Helen said softly as she sat next to him. “I’m sorry it had to be like this, but it doesn’t change anything.”

 

Alec stayed silent, and Maia began to gently stroke his shoulder, trying to calm him down, as he finally stopped sobbing. Alec finally lifted his head, and looked at his friends.

 

“I’m so sorry I never told you I-” Alec started, but then he couldn’t find anything to say to his best friends. They had always been there for him, and he had withheld such a huge thing from them. 

 

“Alec, we know it’s not easy to find the right moment to say this, but we love you and it doesn’t matter to us,” Maia said. “We know how hard you’re trying to make things work, between your parents, your job, and your gigs. Maybe you should take some time for yourself.” 

 

“What time? I don’t have any time, you know if I don’t continue to work there, I- There’s things, and people I can’t give up on,” Alec said, trying to stand up, even though his legs were still limp and his jeans were falling down his hips.

 

“Maybe you need to lighten that weight you have on your shoulders, Alec. This isn’t good for you. One day, all those emotions you’re holding up are going to make you explode, and trust me, it won’t be the good kind of explosion,” Maia told him, taking his hand in hers, squeezing lightly. 

 

Alec faked a smile. He didn’t want to make his friends more worried than they already were, but he couldn’t just abandon everything because  _ he _ needed some time. Other people needed Alec, and he couldn’t just let them down. 

 

“I should- I should go home,” Alec said, walking toward the door. “Can you- I mean, you know, not tell-” Alec began and Helen cut him off.

 

“We won’t tell anyone else, we’ll wait until you’re ready.” She smiled, and Alec felt a little lighter, enough to smile back at them. 

 

Alec stepped by the bar to claim he was tired from the last few days, and nobody found it odd coming from him, so he simply gathered his stuff, not forgetting his headphones this time, and after he quickly patted Jace’s back and kissed Isabelle on the cheek, he ran out of the bar, sighing loudly. 

 

When he closed the door behind him, he glanced back quickly to look at his friends. Jace was talking to Isabelle, still holding Clary on his lap They all looked a bit worried, but he hoped it wasn’t because of him. Helen and Aline were talking to each other, and Helen’s hand was resting on Aline’s shoulder, while Lydia was helping Maia at the bar. 

 

“What is wrong with me?” Alec exhaled, slowly turning back, to end up face to face with someone he hadn’t seen in a long time, and that he clearly didn’t want to see, at least tonight.

 

“What are you doing here?” Alec spat. 

 

“Well, I came to see my sweet little sister, is that forbidden?” the guy said as Alec was leaving. “Oh, leaving already? What a shame, I thought maybe you could have walked me home after a few beers.” 

 

“Cut that crap Sebastian! You’re not fooling me, not again,” Alec growled, as he began to walk faster towards his apartment.

 

“I’ll see you around!” Sebastian chuckled, before he opened the front door of the Hunter’s moon.

 

Alec began to walk faster and faster, until he realized he was running, cold air hitting on his pale cheeks, and then it started to rain, again, while Alec was heading home. 

 

When he was finally sitting on his bed, Alec didn’t even bother to take off his clothes, or shower, he simply lied back on the bed, trying to sleep, but also trying once again to forget about the day, that clearly had been worst than the one before. But all he could think about was Magnus, and then the image of Sebastian bursting behind him and Alec snapped out of his thoughts. No, he wouldn’t think about him, not now, not when his life was already a mess, he didn’t needed him to come back.

 

But that night, Alec couldn’t manage to fall asleep, so he simply pulled out his headphones, and let Radiohead play all night long.


	3. One call away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the Hunter's Moon incident, Magnus decide he should just stop trying to interact with Alec, as all their encounters ended up with anger and tears... But things never go as planned, and Magnus knows that.
> 
> Glitter, friendship and tequila in this new chapter !

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so first, I'm so grateful for all the nice comments and reactions about this FF, it's really overwhelming :')
> 
> And forever and always, huge thank you to @Noksindra and @Lecrit for being my first readers and beta, I love you both so much my beautiful and talented croissants <3
> 
>  
> 
> You can find me on Twitter : @MaddyMoo__   
> And if you ever live tweet this, use the #YHIMFS :')

When Magnus left the room where Alec was still sitting on the floor, crying his heart out silently, he slowly felt a stinging pain growing in his chest as he got out of the Hunter’s Moon. He sighed when he closed the door behind him, looking inside the bar one last time , where Alec had played only a few hours ago, his huge dark green headphones on his ears, and that amazing and genuine smile on his face, a smile Magnus had just erased by being a dick.

 

“Magnus?” a voice called behind him and Magnus turned around.

 

When he did, he wasn’t surprised to find Isabelle, running towards him, looking worried. 

 

“What happened? Why are you leaving? And where’s Alec?” Isabelle asked, not even waiting for Magnus to answer. She gently placed a hand on his shoulder, and Magnus let out a sigh again.

 

“I just- I screwed up Isabelle. I hurt Alec. I know him for about twenty four hours and I completely messed up with him. He probably hates me now,” Magnus said, he hadn’t meant to sound pissed, but truth be told, he was. He was pissed, not only because he had been a total jerk to Alec, but because he knew he had stolen that moment from him, that thing he wanted to keep for himself and Magnus had just ruined everything.

 

“What did you do?” Isabelle asked, alarmed, as she turned back to the bar, looking worriedly behind her.

 

“We were talking and then I- Please, Isabelle, don’t make me say that to you.” Magnus inhaled deeply, seeing Isabelle was even more worried than before. “I said something to him about, you know, not being honest with himself and his friends, and he got mad, but he didn’t realized Aline and Maia opened the door and-” Magnus stopped to look at Izzy, and she clamped a hand on her mouth.

 

“Did he- Did he say he was-” Isabelle swore silently and grunted. “Magnus, it’s hard for Alec but he’ll be fine.” She sighed, looking behind her and Magnus saw she was worried.

 

“I should probably get back to see if he’s okay,” Isabelle said, walking back towards the bar this time. “I’ll see you on Tuesday. Goodnight Magnus.”

 

Magnus kept his eyes on Isabelle as she ran inside, and he smiled fondly but whoever was watching him could see he also had this sadness in his look, so he turned away and walked back home. 

 

Magnus wouldn’t usually take the subway to go home. He’d rather call for a taxi or for Raphael to come and pick him up wherever he was.ruth be told, Raphael really didn’t like when Magnus mistook him for his personal driver. But tonight was different, Magnus wasn’t in the mood for talking, especially not with Raphael. 

 

Raphael was Magnus closest and oldest friend. They had met on the campus of the NYU STERN, where they both took the same business option, and Magnus laughed when he remembered Raphael sitting next to him, wearing a 1500 dollars suit, when Magnus was wearing ripped out jeans with a bright blue crop top. Raphael had sighed loudly but they soon became friends, at least if you could call them friends. They basically spent most of their time arguing on the topics their professors would give as assignments. And yet, they began to hang out after class, still arguing while drinking a coffee, or eating a burger and on their second year, they became roommates. Magnus still laughed thinking about it, because it clearly had been their worst idea ever.

 

_ “Por el amor de Dios, Magnus if you ever put glitter on my clothes again, I’ll kill you in your sleep!”  _

 

Well, at least, Magnus had tried to enlighten Raphael’s wardrobe a little bit, even when said one had made a scene each time Magnus put glitter in the washing machine.

 

_ “Magnus, cabron, I swear, what is this? Did you really put glitter in the washing machine? Tu te has vuelto loco? Dios mio, voy a matarte !”  _

 

When Raphael was angry, Magnus could tell because he would insult him in Spanish, but then again, he was pretty much moody all the time, because every time he would speak to Magnus, he would say something in Spanish.

 

When Magnus got out of the subway, he was still thinking about that time when he met Raphael, but also Ragnor and Catarina who were studying culture and economics.They had soon become friends despite the fact that on their first encounter, Magnus had spilled his coffee all over  Cat’s favorite blue dress, and also that he had told Ragnor that green definitely wasn’t his color after he saw him with that bright green shirt. 

 

He arrived in front of his apartment and got his keys out of his pocket and sighed as he walked up the stairs, thinking about her, even though he wasn’t in the mood. He had met Camille a few years after graduating, when he had just opened Pandemonium, five years ago.

 

She had come from nowhere, the night of the opening, wearing this magnificent red dress, with her dark brown hair falling over her bare shoulders. She was so beautiful. 

 

“Stop thinking, it’s giving you wrinkles,” a voice echoed and Magnus raised his head to see Raphael at his doorstep, holding a bottle of tequila. 

 

“What are you doing here?” Magnus said, not really surprised to see his friend here.

 

“Izzy texted me,” Raphael answered as he let Magnus step closer to open the door of his apartment and they both entered in the living room. Raphael went straight to the bar to take two shots from the shelf, and he quickly opened the bottle and poured tequila in the small glasses, handing one to Magnus who drank it immediately. 

 

Magnus didn’t particularly like tequila, truth be told, it had an awful taste, but it was strong, but right now, Magnus needed something strong. 

When he took the second glass from Raphael’s hand to empty it in one gulp, his friend looked at him, with his if-you-think-you’re-impressing-me-you’re-totally-wrong glance, and Magnus sighed.

 

“So, what happened?” Raphael asked after Magnus, who just took his third shot, coughing violently after choking on his drink.

 

“What did Izzy tell you?” Magnus finally said when he regained his breath. 

 

“That you’ve been a complete idiot, and that I shouldn’t let you drink alone tonight. Also, she said I should stay here with you for a while,” Raphael said, impassible. 

 

“First thing, Isabelle wouldn’t call me an idiot, I give her tips, and then, you just invented the last part so you can stay here. Did something happen with Ragnor and Cat?” Magnus asked worriedly. 

 

Raphael had been living with Ragnor and Catarina for three years now in a huge penthouse in Manhattan, near Battery Park, and Magnus absolutely loved this place. Every time they would have dinner there, they would sit at the edge of the swimming pool to watch the sunset and eventually Magnus would push Raphael in and they would all end up in the pool, grunting but laughing like when they were younger. 

 

“They’re engaged,” Raphael said, looking down. 

 

Magnus blinked few times before he could actually think about what Raphael had just said, he almost dropped the half empty glass of tequila he still had in his hand.

 

“What do you mean, they- they’re engaged?” Magnus stammered. He couldn’t believe it.

 

“He proposed. A few days ago,” Raphael said, taking the bottle of tequila to pour himself a drink, seeing that Magnus had finally let go of the bottle. 

 

“Why did they tell you and not me?” Magnus started before Raphael, after drinking his tequila, sighed. 

 

“They didn’t actually tell me,” Raphael said, pouring a new drink for both of them. “I came home earlier last night and they were on the balcony, he had a knee down, the ring in his hand, and well- I just-” Raphael sighed and downed his drink. “I don’t want to be that person ruining all of their intimate moments because of my job. When I think about it, maybe you weren’t that stupid when you decided to leave the loft to settle here.”

 

“Who said I was stupid?” Magnus exclaimed, outraged by Raphael’s words.

 

“Ragnor, Cat, me, all the time, and probably some other random people I don’t know,” Raphael said, not showing any sign of regret and Magnus pouted.

 

“You’re so mean to me, I don’t know why I allow you to stay here, instead of a crappy hotel,” Magnus uttered and Raphael gave him a half smile. 

 

“So, can I stay here tonight?” Raphael asked, though he already knew the answer. 

 

Magnus smiled fondly. Even though Raphael could be a terrible person, mean, sarcastic and so many other adjectives that could qualify the devil himself, he was a good friend. He had always been there for Magnus since the beginning. When his parents kicked him out during his first year, Magnus had stayed in Raphael’s room before they actually became roommates. When he had his project to build a club in Brooklyn and needed support and help with finding some bands, he had been there. And of course, when Magnus and Camille had broken up, and Magnus went through this horrible part of his life, Raphael was there. He had seen Magnus like nobody ever saw him; broken. 

 

Magnus snapped out of his thoughts when Raphael sighed loudly. 

 

“What are you going to do now?” Magnus asked, setting the bottle far away from both of them. 

 

“Well, I’m going to move out, I think. You know how much I hate married couples,” Raphael grunted before he grimaced and Magnus chuckled.

 

From what Magnus knew, he had never seen Raphael dating or hitting on anyone, not even once, so one day he had asked him what he liked. Raphael had just said he didn’t mind but he didn’t want to date anybody for the moment, and Magnus never asked again, if Raphael had chosen he didn’t wanted to be with anyone, Magnus wouldn’t be the one pressuring him with this. 

 

“That doesn’t mean I’m not happy for them, I am. I really am, Magnus. I just don’t want-” Raphael wasn’t angry, but Magnus could see something was bothering him. “I don’t want to ruin everything, and I don’t know where else to go.” 

 

“Raphael, you know you can stay here as long as you want,” Magnus said, grabbing the bottle of tequila again. “Damnit, I was wondering why the bottle was so far away! Well, another shot won’t arm us, right?” 

 

One shot probably, but drinking four whole bottles was probably not a great idea. At least, that’s what Magnus thought when he woke up the next morning, lying naked on the floor of his bedroom, with all of his clothes discarded around him.He raised an eyebrow. When he finally managed to stand up, he saw Raphael was in the bed, still wearing his black suit from the day before, and he was hugging an empty bottle of tequila.

 

Magnus just had the time to chuckle, before he felt sick and had to run towards the bathroom. He couldn’t remember the last time he actually threw up because of alcohol, but that seemed so far away, he realized he shouldn’t have drank so much last night. 

 

He heard some movements in the room, but he couldn’t manage to move, and he soon felt something on his shoulder, his canary yellow blanket.

 

“Can’t you be quiet? Dios, I have such a headache,” Raphael grunted and started to open all the furnitures’ doors to find something. “Where do you keep your painkillers?” 

 

“I don’t have any,” Magnus whined, still holding the edge of the toilet. 

 

Raphael hissed and gave a slap behind Magnus’s head, who expressed his displeasure by grunting and babbling apologies.

 

When Magnus finally stood up, he grabbed a pair of underwear and silk pyjama bottoms that were hung behind the bathroom door. He stumbled to get out of the room and found Raphael back on the bed, under the cover, wearing one of Magnus’s pyjamas. He looked tired, and rather sick. Magnus smiled as he got under the cover next to him.

 

“How do you feel?” Raphael asked when Magnus put the covers up to his face. “Don’t rub your face on the sheets. You just barfed, it’s disgusting.”

 

“Those are my sheets, last time I checked. And I’m fine, I think I threw up my guts and soul but I should be alright in about five days,” Magnus said as he felt a new wave of nausea striking. 

 

Fortunately for both of them, there was lots of Chinese takeout leftovers in the fridge and the new season of Game of Thrones was on TV, so they ended up spending the day in bed, complaining about the lack of shirtless Jon Snow and the end of the season. 

 

“I’m not saying he wasn’t an asshole, but was that a valuable reason to kill him off?” Raphael was still arguing about this even though it was three in the morning, and Magnus rolled over to face Raphael, who said he was too tired to crawl to the other room.

 

“I’m not going to argue with you on that Rafi, he well deserved to be ea-” Magnus started but Raphael cut him out.

 

“Ok ok ok, I saw the scene once, no need to tell,” Raphael said, sighing. “But he was a cool character, and you can’t deny it.”

 

“Well, I must say I felt no sympathy for him, but he was okay, I guess,” Magnus lied, hoping it would help Raphael to shut up so he could actually sleep, because tomorrow was the monthly glitter party and Magnus had so many things to do. 

 

“I know what you’re trying to do Magnus. I know you, cabron!” Raphael spat, but he buried himself under the covers and rolled onto the other side of the bed, and Magnus heard him saying “thank you” softly.

Magnus smiled and then found himself thinking about Alexander Lightwood. Was he ok, right now? Was he also lying in his bed thinking about trivial things? Magnus sighed, and wondered why he was still thinking about that guy, who was probably hating him with all of his being, and rightfully so. Magnus simply stopped thinking about him, and he fell asleep. 

 

***

 

“Wake up, you snoring idiot!” an unpleasant voice hissed and Magnus whined.

 

“Won’t you let me sleep, for the love of everything lazy in this world !” Magnus grunted as he buried his head under a pillow. 

 

Raphael, who apparently wasn’t happy with Magnus’s answer, grabbed the fluffy blanket and suddenly pulled on it, leaving Magnus in only his pyjama pants in the bed. Raphael, who had already showered, and was already dressed in a new cobalt blue suit, sat on the edge of the bed and pulled on the pillow. 

 

“Hng!” Magnus growled and Raphael hit him slightly with the pillow. “I wanna stay in bed”. Magnus pouted like a child faking to be sick not to go to school.

 

“It’s already half past three and I thought you said yesterday, you wanted to be at the club by now,” Raphael said, fixing his tie in the mirror.

 

Magnus opened his eyes suddenly and almost fell off the bed.  _ Shit, shit, shit,  _ Magnus thought as he made his way towards the bathroom, stumbling on the clothes that were still on his bedroom floor. He quickly grabbed a black shirt and his dark blue linen jacket with black tight pants. 

 

“Why are all my clothes on the floor?” Magnus asked, grumbling at the sight of some of his favorites shirts spread all around the room.

 

“Oh, this?” Raphael said, smirking. “Well, you were so drunk yesterday you absolutely insisted on throwing a fashion show, just for me. How thoughtful, I appreciated it.” 

 

“So you just let me do that and leave all my precious babies on the floor, all night, and all day,” Magnus sobbed as he started to pick up his shirts.

 

“Those are shirts Magnus, not actual babies,” Raphael sighed. 

 

“Don’t worry, he didn’t mean that,” Magnus said, holding his shirt against his chest, looking outraged.

 

“Can we just go back to work, please?” Raphael ordered, even though he said “please”.

 

Magnus hummed, sticking his tongue out at Raphael’s back, and grabbed his coat, before he ran after his so called friend, who  was already at the door. 

 

“Did you brush your teeth at least?” Raphael asked, looking at Magnus with an eyebrow raised.

“Can you stop acting like a mom, please? And yes, I brushed my teeth, of course,” Magnus sighed as they got out of the apartment. 

 

When they reached Pandemonium’s backdoor entry and got in,  Isabelle, Raj and Victor were already there, playing with the glitter balls. 

 

“Izzy, stop this right now, I swear if I have glitter in my hair !” Raj threatened from where he was hiding behind Victor’s back. Victor was smiling lightly, while Raj was holding him close, both hands on his waist. “Magnus said not to touch the glitter, so put that down!”

 

Magnus chuckled. Isabelle laughed and chased after Raj until she finally smashed out the small ball on his head. The tiny thing exploded, and Raj was now covered in glitter, as was the floor, and Victor soon after that, when he came to kiss Raj, who was now pouting. 

 

“Hey, it’s alright babe, I’ll get that out of your hair, come on,” Victor said, obviously trying to hold back a laugh, and that’s when Raj took a good amount of glitter that was still stuck in his hair and threw it on Victor, who stayed still, but clearly wasn’t happy about this.

 

“Ok, what did you just do?” Victor asked with the calmest voice, which meant he really wasn’t happy about what Raj just did.

 

Victor was quite good at this game. He could show you the brightest smile and speak to you in the most lovey dovey voice you’d never heard, and then he could throw his fist in your jaw. That was what happened when an angry and rather drunk customer had thrown his glass to Raj’s face because it wasn’t good enough to his taste. Of course, after Victor came to “explain” himself with this guy, Rufus, whom Magnus knew, the latter had been forbidden to ever come back to Pandemonium.

 

“Uh oh,” Raj said before he tried to escape but Victor grabbed his waist and pulled him in for a passionate and glittery kiss. Magnus chuckled. It had been quite a long time since Raj and Victor had  both started working at Pandemonium and Magnus knew there was something going on between them, from the day Victor start to teach Raj how to make cocktails. Since then, every single time Raj was making one, he would blush. 

 

“Get a room you two,” Raphael spat and the couple broke their connexion to look at the mess they had done. “Clean that up, and please, don’t let Magnus test any cocktail today. He might throw up again, and that disturbed me, I couldn’t sleep,” he continued as he hung his coat on a stool, next to the bar. 

 

Raj and Victor went to the storage room to find a broom, and Magnus looked at them with narrowed eyes and a grin.

 

“If you’re not quick enough, I’ll assume you’re doing dirty things in there, so chop chop!” Magnus said enthusiastically, while he sat at the bar next to Raphael, who was texting and filing papers already.

 

“What are you doing? Everything is ready for tonight. We have sparkling champagne, glittery vodka, and good pop music,” Magnus said, and when he saw the look on Raphael’s face, he suddenly knew something wasn’t right. “Please tell me we do have the glittery vodka.” 

 

“We do have it, you idiot. I just received a text,” Raphael said, putting his phone on the table, Magnus was still standing next to him, his arms crossed, waiting for the possible bad news. “Meliorn wants to play here tonight.” 

 

Magnus’s eyes widened and he had to blink several times before he could have a proper reaction, which, in that case, was to laugh for a good five minutes. When he saw the annoyed look on Raphael’s face, though, he stopped laughing, and raised an eyebrow, realizing it wasn’t a joke. 

 

“Oh,” Magnus said, running a finger on his bottom lip, before his smile dropped. “You mean, that’s not a joke? Because if it is, let me tell you it was a good one.”

 

Raphael sighed, but he took his phone and checked again the text he had received from Meliorn’s manager, Valentine Morgenstern.

 

“Morgenstern said he’s sorry for last night, but now that Meliorn is available, they’d like to renew the contract,” Raphael stated but Magnus didn’t give him the time to give him further explanations.

 

“No. No, nope, nopety nope. Out of question. This little prick won’t take a step in my club tonight, no way I’ll allow this,” Magnus said, picking one of the cocktail glasses and admiring the golden line that was swirling all around it. “I let myself be fooled once, and trust me, it won’t happen again, so just forget it. He can call, he can crawl at my feet to play here tonight, not happening.” Magnus put the glass down on the bar and began to walk away.

 

“He’ll bring his own material and will only ask for ten percent of the benefits, instead of twenty percent, as it was stated in the contract. Magnus we don’t have anything to lose for tonight, you forget he has a reputation,” Raphael began but Magnus didn’t turn around. “five percent?”

 

Magnus finally turned around and smiled.

 

“Five percent sounds good to me, it’s our biggest party. I won’t risk giving him too much. Also, he better be here at eight or our deal is off. Understood?” Magnus said, as he walked towards the bar.

 

“I’m just the manager here. I book the gigs, nothing more, and if you hadn’t been an idiot, that Alex Thing-wood would be playing here tonight, so let me do my job and book Meliorn for tonight? Ok?”

 

“Alec,” Magnus said, visibly annoyed by Raphael’s comments.

 

Raphael raised an eyebrow, and waited for Magnus to continue.

 

“His name is Alec. Alec Lightwood. And yes, I’ve been an idiot, that I know. But in case you don’t remember your own words, I’ve always been one and I think the day hasn’t come yet when I’ll finally stop being one. Now, if Mr Santiago will excuse me, I have a party to throw.” 

 

And then Magnus settled at the edge of the bar, while Raj and Victor were cleaning the floor, which was still covered in glitter, as the two men were. Raj was pushing Victor every time he would try to make a move, but in the end he would smile and peck him on the cheek. Isabelle was softly whistling songs behind the bar, while she was cleaning the glasses and cutting the fruits for the cocktails. Magnus felt that something was bothering her, but he couldn’t tell what. 

 

“Hey darling,” Magnus said with a smile, but Isabelle didn’t seemed to listen. She was looking at her phone, and after few minutes, he waved his hand in front of her face, searching for a bit of attention. “Isabelle, are you ok?” 

 

Isabelle snapped out of her thoughts and looked at Magnus, confused, like she was searching what to say to him, but instead she smiled and nodded slightly. 

 

“Everything’s fine,” she told him, but Magnus wasn’t a man you could fool with a broken smile. 

 

Magnus raised an eyebrow and Isabelle chuckled. She knew she wasn’t convincing enough, and she waited for Magnus to pour some vodka in two shots, before he sat at the bar and pushed one of the glass towards his favorite waitress. He looked at the glass, then she grabbed it and drank all of the liquid in one quick gulp. She grimaced before putting it back on the counter.

 

“Now, can you tell me what’s wrong?” Magnus asked as he drank his own shot of vodka.

 

“It’s Alec,” she started and Magnus almost choked on his drink. “Hey, chill, he’s ok, at least, I think he is. He- He went back to our parent’s house this morning and he said he wanted to stay there for a bit, but I don’t know why, and it bothers me.”

 

“Your brother went to see your parents and you think that’s weird? Pardon me, but I don’t see why-” Magnus began but he stopped as soon as he saw Isabelle’s worried face.

 

“Alec is- He’s not very warm and fuzzy as you may have seen, and he never really got along with our parents. He’s the eldest, so basically, he had to listen to everything our parents have always said. He spent his entire life trying to please them, but it  was never enough. He went to law school even though he hated it, he joined our father’s company, and he put all his own dreams aside for them. He never told them he’s-” Isabelle sighed. “Our parents are desperately trying to marry him. As soon as they meet the daughter of any of their associates, they feel the need to arrange a date for Alec. I don’t know why he’d want to go back home, when he did his best to run away.”

 

“Maybe he’s just tired of running away?” Magnus suggested. “Maybe he realized it was time for him to finally do what’s in his heart and tell your parents the truth.” 

 

“You think he would come out?” Isabelle ran a hand in her long raven hair, frowning. “He was so reluctant when we talked about it few weeks ago, I just wonder what changed his mind.” But she looked at Magnus with a perplexed glance.

 

“Don’t look at me like this, Isabelle. I’m not responsible for this,” Magnus sighed. “Ok, maybe I said he should stop lying to himself and his friends, but I didn’t mean he had to rush in, and do it in a way he could regret,” he said, massaging his temples.

 

“He already did something he regretted lately, and it was my fault,” Isabelle said, as she began cleaning the glasses they had used. “I shouldn’t have pushed him to play here the other night,” she said, mostly talking to herself.

 

“Alexander- He really regrets that?” Magnus asked, looking down.

 

“I’m sorry Magnus, I really am,” Isabelle answered, a sad look on her beautiful face. “He just said that because he was angry and upset yesterday, he wasn’t ready for the girls to know, and-”

 

“That’s ok Isabelle, you don’t have to apologize. I was the one who hurt him, and I understand that he probably needs to take a break,” Magnus said, as he walked behind the bar to help Isabelle with the glasses. 

 

“I don’t know Magnus, I’m just worried about him, he already have a lot to deal with, with our parents, his job and-” Isabelle stayed silent, and Magnus frowned. “There’s just so much pressure on him, it’s only a matter of time before he explodes, and trust me, I feel like it won’t be the kind of explosion that will make things better.”

 

“You really care about your brother. Maybe you should go and talk to him, I can handle tonight’s party,” Magnus said, waving at Isabelle to allow her to leave, but she shook her head. 

 

“He said he didn’t want to talk about it for the moment, and I don’t want to force him to do things he doesn’t want to. I don’t want to be like our parents,” Isabelle said, turning around to grab a few bottles and put them on the fridge under the bar. 

 

“You’re probably right,” Magnus said, slicing some fruits to make his homemade sangria for the glitter party. ”Well then, you know that if you ever need to leave, you don’t have to justify yourself.” 

 

“Thank you,” Isabelle simply said because she knew how much she could rely on Magnus. It wasn’t only a thank you for being an understanding boss, but also because he was her friend as well. 

 

***

If you’d ask Magnus Bane to describe Meliorn, the DJ he had hired a couple of days ago, who didn’t showed up then but was now standing in the middle of the room, being a drama queen about everything, he would tell you he was the most arrogant and spoiled artist Magnus had ever worked with. Meliorn had decided he would complain about every single thing about Magnus’s club, and that would include the decoration, the set arrangement, the sound equipment, the cocktails, the floor.

 

“Well, not to be that guy, but this place is a bit- how would I say that without being too mean?” Meliorn said as he faked thinking about something. “Well, I won’t bother to lie, this place is a dumpster. I really don’t know why Valentine wants me to play here, but well, a man needs to eat, right?” he told Magnus and Raphael, who were both standing in the way.

 

Raphael was trying to calm Magnus down. No one have ever dared to call his club, the most popular club in the whole state, a dumpster. Fortunately for Meliorn, and also for Raphael who was tired of always dealing with Magnus’s impulse, he was completely sober tonight. And truth be told, this clearly helped to not punch Meliorn in the face, because Magnus’s glitter party was the annual event nobody wanted to miss. For Magnus’s special parties, as they were so popular and only once in a month, you had to have an invitation if you wanted to enter the club.

 

“Well, I’m sorry my club doesn’t fit your fancy tastes, but you’ll have to deal with it for tonight,” Magnus said with a wink, and he saw Meliorn wince slightly. “Now if you would please excuse me, I need to go to check on my guests. We open the curtains in thirty minutes so if I were you, I would just stick to doing my part of the contract tonight, and I would stop complaining about my club. Unless you want me to call Morgenstern and call off our little deal.” 

 

Raphael facepalmed while Meliorn just stood there, looking at Magnus with widened eyes, his mouth half open. Magnus didn’t know if he was about to talk or not, but truthfully, he couldn’t care less. He just wanted the DJ to do his job for tonight so he could go back home and relax with a good old bottle of Monbazillac, and maybe, Raphael would accept to give him a foot massage. But after he looked at Raphael, he quickly realized he could forget about the massage, because obviously, the younger man looked everything but delighted by Magnus’s comment. 

 

“You’re dead Magnus, you’re so dead,” Raphael whispered as Meliorn finally climbed on stage to begin synchronising all of his songs on his computer.

 

“What? You wanted me to just shut up and let that brat make fun of me? Come on, you know me Raphael!” Magnus whispered, but loud enough for Raphael to understand he was pissed.

 

“I do know you Magnus, and that’s why I want you to stay calm. This whole story with the Lightwood boy, I know it’s bothering you, but you can’t blame yourself,” Raphael said and Magnus sighed. “Amigo, you got to leave this behind, and move on. We have a party to run tonight, and it’s going to be an unforgettable night.”

 

“I hope you’re right.” Magnus said, scratching the back of his neck. “But I really have a bad feeling.”

 

“Magnus!” Isabelle said, out of breath as she ran towards them, a jacket in one hand, her phone in the other. “I really need to go, emergency at the hospital.” 

 

“Of course Izzy, I told you, you don’t have to-” Magnus started but she cut him of.

 

“I need to go for at least two or three days, maybe even a week, I don’t know.” Isabelle said, panicking and Magnus knew it wasn’t the good time to ask anything so he simply nodded.

 

“You’ll keep me update about this, right?” Magnus asked with a soft smile. 

 

Isabelle just nodded and left as fast as she came in the first time. Magnus walked towards the bar because he knew that without Isabelle, Raj and Victor would be completely lost and of course, someone at least as attractive as Isabelle needed to be there to assure the selling and advise the customers on their drinks, and Magnus Bane was the man of the situation.

 

When he arrived at the bar, taking his place behind it, Raj and Victor sighed in relief. The bar was crowded because it was still early. 

 

As soon as Meliorn would began to play, the crowd would leave the bar for the dancefloor. And Magnus was right, once the music echoed in the second room, many people stepped away from the bar to join the dancefloor. 

 

He was in the middle of making a Sex on the Beach, probably one of his favorite cocktails, when Magnus glanced towards the stage to see how Meliorn was doing, and he chuckled, but not in a good way. 

 

The man was simply pushing on all the buttons, all the levers, like this was some kind of chore he was doing. There was no energy, no life. He was doing this because he had to, and not because he actually enjoyed it, and suddenly Magnus began to think about Alec Lightwood. He remembered the way Alec looked at the crowd in amazement, and the smile on his face every time he pushed some button on his keyboard. Magnus didn’t know anything about what it really meant to be a DJ, but he could tell Meliorn wasn’t one. He grimaced when he remembered how Alec had moved his hips and his whole body, living the music he was playing when that guy was just here for the money, the money Alec had refused to take the other day.

 

“You’re so stupid Magnus Bane,” Magnus told himself as he was pouring the mixed cocktail into a glass.

 

“Excuse me?” a young woman with long straight dark blond hair said. “I thought the guy who played there few days ago would be there tonight. Will he?” 

 

“I’m so sorry, Miss,” Magnus started as he looked at the young lady, waiting for her name.

 

“Salomé,” she answered. 

 

“I’m very sorry Salomé, but no, he wasn’t meant to play here tonight.” Magnus said with a smile as he handed the glass to her.

 

“Oh, I see. That’s a shame, my friends and I were here when he played the other day and it was amazing. No offense, but that guy is-” Salomé glanced back at Meliorn and Magnus chuckled. 

 

“He’s lame, I know. I regret hiring him for tonight,” Magnus said with a sigh.

 

“Well, we all do mistakes, but you should call back the other guy next time,” she said with a fond smile.

 

“I will,” he said, smiling at her, as he placed three other drinks she had probably ordered for her and her friends in front of her. “Drinks are on me.” Magnus said, smiling at her. 

 

“Wow, thank you.” She picked two glasses, while her tiny friend Magnus hadn’t even noticed came to take the two others.

 

Magnus smiled as he watched them walking away, laughing before they joined their other friends, and Magnus took another order before Raphael called him on his talkie. 

 

“Magnus?” Raphael asked and Magnus immediately answered. 

 

“Magnus Bane, sex god and skilled cocktail maker, I’m listening,” Magnus said as he shamelessly bowed toward the crowd. 

 

“That’s everything but funny, we have a small problem,” Raphael said, visibly annoyed. 

 

Magnus sighed loudly before he handed a new cocktail to a very good-looking man, and he winked at him, but when he heard Raphael shouting at him in the talkie, he grabbed it and shouted too.

 

“What?” Magnus asked angrily. 

 

“There’s someone trying to get in without invitation, and he doesn’t want to leave,” Raphael said. “They said it was someone who wanted to talk to Isabelle Lightwood and with the description they gave me, I think it’s-” Raphael couldn’t even finish that Magnus dropped the talkie, pushed the glasses on the bar, and got out from behind the bar. 

 

“Guys, I’m leaving for a bit, you take care of the bar. If you break anything, remember that I’ll know,” he said as he left. 

 

He climbed the stairs quickly, maybe too quickly because he tripped on the last step and almost fell on the edge of the stairs, but when he was about to open the door to get outside, he wished he had never left the bar. 

 

“I told you, I just need to go to see my sister damn it! I don’t care about your stupid party! Just let me in!” a voice echoed from behind the door, and he was almost a hundred percent sure he knew who was speaking.

 

As soon as he was outside, there was a furious Alexander Lightwood, shouting and seeing how close he was from the man, he was probably about to grab on the bouncer’s jacket. But before he could make the first move, the said bouncer pushed Alec so violently that he tripped against the sidewalk and fell on the floor.When he raised his head, Magnus could see he had cried, a lot. His eyes were bright red, and they were still some tears stains on his face. Magnus watched him as he began to stand up, and Marvin, his least favorite bouncer, had clenched his fist and was coming way too close to Alec for Magnus’s liking.

 

When he saw Alec was still trying to stand up, and Marvin had raised his fist, about to hit, he completely lost his temper.

 

“You stop that right now!” Magnus clamored and he saw both of them looking at him with a mix of fear and anger. 

 

“Boss!” Marvin stammered and Alec silently stood up, looking at the ground. “He was trying to break in without invitation so I was-” 

 

“I know what you were about to do,” Magnus said, raising a hand to shush him. “Now, leave, and tell Andrew he’s taking the next shift.” He passed by the man without even looking at him. “By, the way, you’re fired. If you treat my customers like this, you have nothing to do here.”

 

Marvin was about to protest but when he saw the way Magnus was staring at him, he gulped. There was no anger in his eyes, and that’s what was terrifying with Magnus Bane, the fact that no emotion could be sensed in his eyes.

 

“Now go get your stuff and leave,” Magnus ordered and the man mumbled some kind of insult Magnus pretended he didn’t hear. 

 

When Magnus came closer to Alec, he saw he was wiping the tears from his cheeks with the back of his hand and the edge of his flannel shirt’s sleeve. He wasn’t looking at him, instead still looking at the ground, and Magnus could sense something was wrong with him, but he couldn’t manage to do the first move, not when he knew what happened last time in the Hunter’s moon storage room. So he simply stayed there, standing in front of Alec, waiting for the young man to be the first to say something, anything, fixing Alec with a mournful glance.

 

“Can- Can I see Izzy? Please,” Alec said, focusing on the floor, his eyes tearing up. “She didn’t pick up when I called her.”

 

“She’s not here, she had to leave for a hospital emergency. I’m sorry, she said she wouldn’t come back before at least two days,” Magnus said and his heart clenched in his chest when he saw the panic on Alec’s face. 

 

“Is there something I can-” Magnus started but Alec turned away without even looking at him. 

 

“Alec, wait!” Magnus began but then he realized he probably was the last person on earth Alec wanted to talk to right now, so he bit on his bottom lip, watching  Alec  to god knows where.

 

Magnus took his phone out of his pocket and quickly texted Isabelle. 

 

_ “Alec came by to see U. Told him you were away. IDK if he’s ok. Call him when U can, plz.”  _

 

Magnus sighed while he ran a hand on his face, looking to street Alec had run in a few moments before, and, for a while, he considered running after him, but in the end, he turned away and went back inside the club.

 

When Magnus walked away from the front of the club he was even more upset than before he came up, and once again he almost tripped in the stairs. He was so mad he considered firing the stairs for being there for a moment and trying to murder him when he was already upset enough. 

 

He finally reached the bar after cursing at the stairs for about ten or fifteen minutes, and poured himself a large glass of whiskey. He glanced at Victor and Raj when they both looked at him, expecting an explanation, because obviously, Marvin had come by to have a last free drink before he left.

 

“Don’t even ask me anything, or I might just down the whole bottle,” Magnus said when he saw Raphael running towards him, a very unhappy and unimpressed look on his face.

 

“What the fuck did you do, cabron?! You fired Marvin?” Raphael said as he threw papers at Magnus’s face.

 

“Why do you all take so much pleasure throwing things at my face?” Magnus shouted, and Raphael ended up smirking at him. “Marvin was an idiot anyway, we’ll just hire someone else.”

 

“And by we, of course, you mean that I will have to find someone else before the next party, right?” Raphael crossed his arms, not even expecting Magnus to deny.Magnus looked at him with a grin and nodded. 

 

“He was about to hit a customer,” Magnus said, downing his glass, before he poured himself another drink and Raphael took the bottle away.

 

“I know who was there, so stop tormenting yourself and just stop drinking. You’re a real pain in the ass when you’re drunk,” Raphael sighed. “I don’t want to handle another fashion show of yours tonight.” 

 

Magnus burst into a frantic laughter as he slightly remembered emptying his wardrobe to give a complete show to Raphael who was giggling and snoring on the bed as Magnus tripped at least seventy-five times on the rug. Magnus smiled because it was very rare for Raphael to laugh or giggle, so he was glad he could remember that moment, even if after he tripped for the seventy-sixth time, he simply felt asleep on said rug.

 

“Listen Magnus, I’m not going to say this again, you should just stop worrying about that guy,” Raphael said, clapping a hand on Magnus’s shoulder, and he flinched. “This is not your fault, you can’t blame yourself for-” 

 

“For forcing him to come out?” Magnus spat. “I do Raphael, I do blame myself for that. I told him to do what was in his heart without even knowing how he felt about this, and he ended up in the worst situation, so you’ll excuse me, but I’m still concerned about that brat,” Magnus said, telling Raj to get that whiskey bottle out of his sight or he’d might just throw it against the wall.

 

“That brat?” Raphael smirked. 

 

“Don’t, Raphael. Just don’t.” Magnus wasn’t in the mood for this, but fortunately his friend may have been the devil’s son, but he simply patted Magnus back before he turned around to check on Meliorn who had finished his gig.

 

“Just go home, I’ll deal with the closing tonight,” Raphael said and Magnus shook his head.

 

“We still have a lot to do, but yeah, please deal with Meliorn or I might just forget his cheque somewhere in the gutter so this little rat would have to crawl in the mud to get money from me. So here.” Magnus signed the paper and gave it to Raphael. “Give him the cheque, while I finish serving the clients at the bar and then I’ll finally be able to relax.”

 

Raphael took the the piece of paper and turned away to meet Meliorn who was off the stage and walking towards him.

 

“Quick! Gollum is coming for his precious!” Magnus grinned and Raphael sighed. “Precious!” he imitated once Raphael was a few feets away.

 

Magnus faked a polite smile when Meliorn left the club with two rather sexy women, and he was finally able to sigh so loud Raphael heard him from the other side of the bar. Victor was quietly massaging Raj’s shoulder, and they both looked exhausted, and well, of course they would be, they worked non-stop for almost six or seven hours at the bar.

 

“I don’t like when people are hitting on you like this.” Victor smiled while he was prepping some kisses on his neck. “I’m such a jealous boyfriend,” he chuckled, putting his forehead against Raj’s shoulder.

 

“You are, but babe, I was this close to getting a three-way.” Raj laughed before Victor began tickling him. “Kidding, I was kidding, stop it!” 

 

Magnus and Raphael were both looking at them, torn between wanting to hit them, or to puke, but they just shared a moment of loneliness until the two lovebirds left for their places. Magnus sneaked behind the bar to steal a bottle of vodka and waved it in front of Raphael with a grin.

 

“Seriously? You’re stealing a bottle from here?” Raphael said, unimpressed. 

 

“Well, it’s not really stealing. It’s mine!” Magnus said, smirking as he jumped past the bar.

 

“I’m not staying anyway,” Raphael answered Magnus’s unsaid words that obviously were: come here amigo and let’s get drunk.

 

“Where are you going?” Magnus asked, raising an eyebrow. “Going back to Ragnor and Catarina’s?” 

 

“No,” Raphael answered before he sighed. He knew Magnus wouldn’t let him go without answers, because after a few years of knowing the man, he was aware that his friend was a real gossip. “I’m seeing Simon for breakfast, he’ll land in about an hour at the airport, so I should go, it’s almost five. And don’t say a word, or I’m going to crash this bottle on your head.” 

 

Magnus faked an outraged look before he mimed a zipper move and shut his mouth immediately. He still smiled wildly as Raphael was leaving the club. The biggest advantage of having his flat just above his club was that he just had to climbed some stairs and in no time he would be comfortably lying on his couch, a glass of apple vodka in his hand. Less than a minute after he had sat down on the couch, someone began to violently knock on his door and Magnus frowned.

 

“Yes, yes!” Magnus yelled at the door. “Who can possibly knock at my door at five in the morning?” Magnus mumbled as he got up from the couch. 

 

The closer he got to the door, the louder the knocks were and the more Magnus lost his temper.

 

“Who fucking dare disturb-” Magnus yelled but when he opened the door to a shaking and sobbing Alec Lightwood, completely soaked by the raid, he simply sighed. “What are you doing here?” 

 

“I didn’t know where else to go,” Alec said with a broken and shaky voice.

 

For a moment, Magnus considered telling him to go, see one of his friends, because he didn’t want to be near Alexander Lightwood if that meant he would hurt him again. But it couldn’t be good to just close the door to his pretty boy’s face, not after the way he had acted a few hours ago. Alec was panicking and searching for help, so when he saw his reddened eyes, probably due to all the tears he had shed in the past hours, Magnus just couldn’t do that to him. 

 

He stepped away from the door, and gestured for him to come in, and Alec did, slowly, shyly and without even looking at Magnus but he could have sworn he heard a ‘thank you’.

 

“Now, I’m going to get you a towel, and when I come back you’ll tell me exactly what happened.” It wasn’t a question, so Magnus esquised a soft smile when he saw Alec nod.

 

When he came back from the bathroom with a large towel, he found a very much asleep Alec on his couch. Of course he had taken off his shoes, jeans, jacket and t-shirt, which meant- And indeed, when Magnus quickly checked, he was only wearing a pair of dark green boxer, his hair, still wet was falling on his forehead, and he was snoring silently.

 

“Well, I’m going to get something to keep you warm now,” Magnus sighed, heading toward his bedroom to get a warm and fluffy blanket.

 


End file.
